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1 year ago

Chameleon Park Jimin 3

~ Written after seeing several people expressing resistance to Jimin evolving over time ~

BTS extensively used social media platforms, vlogs, fan meets, fan signings, and other creative events to help increase their fanbase and name recognition.  In spite of the huge learning curve, long work hours, and meticulous practice sessions, Jimin always appeared to be upbeat and enthusiastic. He had chosen to take on the risk of learning his craft on the job with possible failures and slips on display, and then the company upped the vulnerability of exposure by having Jimin be the one who would expose his body on stage as well. He was required to be muscular and fit to titillate fans as he lifted his shirt to show his cut abs or tore off his shirt or performed shirtless. 

The pressure surrounding this act was likely both internal and external.  Jimin began doing heavy exercise and strict dieting. Severe dieting is more accurate. Although all the guys were required to commit to dieting, Jimin’s now self-imposed restrictions became so severe he would pass out, become weak, and be moody due to the lack of energy.  He has expressed that he felt uncomfortable exposing his body then and also remarked that they were instructed to do some risqué things that were uncomfortable at those ages. Now not only could fans witness any mishaps that might occur from the untrained voice being asked to perform while sometimes jumping around, dancing, and maintaining your breathing, but now those ill-intended audience members could add criticizing his body and overall appearance to the mix as well.

I feel Jimin appeared to have possibly developed an eating disorder at this time due to the high expectations and requirements. I say this because after that very muscular phase finally passed, Jimin became painfully thin at times, losing muscle mass and strength.  Being that Jimin is a perfectionist at heart, he often does everything he executes to the extreme - to his mental and physical detriment.

There was a time when the group became so concerned they had what seemed to be a filmed, group intervention for Jimin, where V explained that they wanted him to eat well because his health was more important than his looks.  That was a brave and loving thing for V to do, even if, at the time, Jimin resisted and felt uncomfortable with the exposure.  I feel the unhealthy dieting was an ongoing problem that he has hopefully overcome, although I presently still hear him talk quite often about weight and eating in a less than healthy way. I’ve observed that Jimin also gains weight to a normal amount then loses a significant amount of weight when performances approach.

Fans were not - and are not - always nice or polite and some were intentionally hurtful, and it’s only gotten worse since then.  Jimin was one member who was highly engaged in social media from early on, and most certainly saw the comments and conversations being had about it all.  Between the company’s requests, his own personal pride, as well as the ongoing stress of his chosen career, Jimin had a lot of pressure on his young shoulders.  Considering how young they all were, they handled the stress incredibly well, but it at times took its toll in other, less obvious, ways.

As BTS’s talent, success, and popularity increased, they understood more and more what they wanted to say, how they wanted to say it, and how they wanted to show it on stage.  Jimin went through some intense struggles, especially with his voice, but compensated for that with intense stage presence and performances.  While he was working to find and improve his full voice, he enhanced and elevated his dance and appearance.  He was always a very good singer with a good voice, but due to the sore throats and limited training, he suffered at times with the effort.  The situation really ate at his confidence and security, I feel. Fan criticism didn’t help the matter, yet he worked harder and continued to persevere.  The company and band recognized more and more what a commodity Jimin was and how he could be used. His unique voice was found to be very useful in his higher range and his unusual tone added uniqueness and richness to the songs.  He was given more singing lines and more elaborate dance routines. 

Jimin also seemed to become a focus of humor for many of the episodes in the various reality type shows they filmed. Jimin can actually be very funny and would create interesting moments when he was involved.  V, during Festa 2020, described Jimin as often surprising them and was unofficially in charge of bringing surprises to the group. In other words, Jimin was innovative and interesting when doing the things he did. However, I feel the company often set up Jimin to lose some of those games intentionally because no one is that unlucky or unskilled that they would lose as often as he did. 

The company enjoyed dressing Jimin up in silly costumes and having him do the humiliating penalties because he was “so cute”, and unfortunately for Jimin, he was an attention magnet for viewers and fans. It appears to me that Jimin was not in on this joke because it seemed to wear on him at times. Even recently he made a remark that he was bad at games and lost often, but maybe his luck had changed.  I feel that while his bandmates were happy for the attention brought to the group (3 minutes), it sometimes bothered them that Jimin would often become the focus of the host or interviewer or fans at a frequent moments.  I’m sure that created some unintended tension in the group occasionally.  

As I said, in the midst of this hectic professional life, Jimin was growing as a human being as well.  He is not perfect and had some learning to do as far as interacting with his members at home, being a bandmate on stage, or just existing personally.  They were all under stress, and as they have said many times, they would become touchy when tired and stressed and frustrated. 

Jimin had his moments where he said the wrong thing or used the wrong tone. Jimin could be sassy and has admitted that he has a blunt way of just saying what is on his mind. He says he can be clumsy with his words. Sometimes he was too playful or too flirtatious to his embarrassment or others.  All of this was done with cameras often in their faces, filming the work and behind the scene moments as well. 

I feel another way Jimin and the other maknae (younger) members were somewhat exploited was that more of their private lives were shown than the hyung (older) members. I don’t know if they were aware of how it would impact them over time or if they were told they didn’t have a choice, but they were at the editors’ mercy as far as the narratives created or shown about them. They may have been too young to understand the consequences and the permanent Internet presence of everything you had ever done, even if you had outgrown situations or later realized the effects.

In spite of the stage persona that Jimin executed so well, Jimin still was able to show that off stage he was genuinely an authentic, caring, warm individual.  He started the birthday celebrations and gift-giving culture within the group.  RM said people often have trouble complimenting or celebrating others’ accomplishments but Jimin never did. RM said he was grateful for Jimin’s ease at doing that for others. 

However, I don’t feel, for reasons I’m not sure, that others returned the favor for Jimin. And sadly, due to personal insecurities he already had, he was one who really needed to hear the positive feedback. There was a time he would ask things like, “What about me?” or “How’d I do?” when compliments were being given to others, and it may have looked as though he was seeking attention or praise when he actually really needed the approval for his peace of mind. With all the uncertainty created by his unsupported professional development, he needed to know he was pulling his weight and hitting the needed marks. 

Later, I feel Jimin had gained enough confidence not to need or to seek out external reassurance (and/or possibly others eventually gave him the feedback that he needed more freely).  On a very recent RunBTS when they were doing flying yoga, Jimin chose a back row to participate but then lost a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors initiated by V to have to move to the front row instead. He did not seek out the attention of the front row or the teacher’s praise, but you could tell it still affects him when he receives affirmation for his efforts. When the teacher said that Jimin was good at the activity, you could tell Jimin appreciated and was proud of the recognition but no longer was desperate to hear it. He even seemed surprised at the teacher sharing those words.

Jimin also likely needed the positive encouragement because the hate and criticism he was receiving online or in the media for anything and everything he did - or didn’t do - was continually growing and still exists to this day.  Over time, the online comments escalated from criticism to death threats. It became - and remains - very hostile and vicious.  The Jimin who would once talk openly and frequently on vlogs and VLives, began to withdraw and not share as much and not show up as much.  The Jimin who would post often and keep fans informed about what was happening in the group, while still respecting his and his bandmates’ privacy, began posting less and less. To his credit, he still remained positive and caring in spite of an almost organized effort to discredit, diminish, and devalue him.

I have explained how Jimin was transforming physically but also emotionally and behaviorally up to this point. Some changes were empowering due to positive experiences and events, and some were destructive due to harmful actions and intentions. All of the experiences were contributing in some way to who Jimin had become so far ----- and then came the Covid pandemic…

See Chameleon Park Jimin Part 4 -  This possible final chapter will more specifically address the current thoughts about Jimin’s evolution as pandemic and post pandemic situations and transformations took hold.


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1 year ago

Chameleon Park Jimin 4

Long but Last in Series

Jimin’s physical changes described in sections 1-3 were assigned or chosen, but were intentional for the most part.  Along with the stress, public exposure, and expectations came related mental & emotional changes as well. Some were usual developments that occur as people normally mature, but others were byproducts of the conditions, situations, and choices occurring. The question is: Were the resulting changes managed well?

Mentally, Jimin has admitted to suffering from bouts of depression, frustration, and loneliness. The stress they all were carrying at such young ages had to have produced levels of anxiety and worry not normally experienced by the general public. Physically, Jimin began suffering as a result of injury and bodily deterioration from intense usage. These situations led to chronic pain issues in his neck, knee, and back (that we’re aware of). He had developed severe muscle cramping in his neck and back that would flare up off and on and would incapacitate him and require medical attention at times. He is still enduring this condition to the present day. 

Some of Jimin's injuries were from the strenuous practicing and rigorous stage performances, but some were from the activities they filmed as games. (EXAMPLES: a possible diet-related fainting spell where Jimin fell off the stage during a game at a fan event; being hit on the head with a toy hammer causing pain and momentary medical distress.) Some were incidental work-related accidents. (EXAMPLES: JHope hitting Jimin with a pillow during a filmed pillow fight, which possibly tore his earring from his ear, Jin becoming startled from a stage blast on a show and hitting Jimin in the mouth with his microphone, (I feel) breaking 2 of his front teeth that still give him at the least visual problems to this day. (I have not confirmed my thoughts from the video. Jimin said he had broken his teeth from a microphone hitting it, but he didn’t blame Jin. Search for the footage.)  Those are only a few injuries that we know about. Jimin likely danced and performed through a multitude of strains, breaks, and/or painful episodes that the audience will never know about - as I’m sure all of them did to varying degrees. [SUGGESTION: Look at Jimin’s photo cards from his first album, FACE, in order to see the actual thorns he stuck on specific body parts to indicate physical damage he’s experienced.  Listen to the entire album to hear the “thorns” he explained in the songs to indicate the emotional damage he’s experienced.]

Finding ways to cope with the stress and pain likely becomes a survival necessity in situations like BTS was enduring. Their schedules were so hectic and busy that getting away to recharge was probably rarely possible, if at all.  The company even built vacations and travel into filming events.  I do appreciate all that the guys were able to see and experience due to the planned events.  The guys enjoyed each other's company and enjoyed the adventures they were able to experience together. Several of them have said they would like to vacation together in the future because the experiences they shared during those travels were memorable and pleasurable.

Personal coping would be specific to each person, since only they really knew what was going on individually and internally.  Some of the choices for relieving pressure were, of course, healthy, but as with all humanity, some were likely less than healthy, even if the choice worked for a while.  Drinking alcohol, and somewhat excessively (from my perspective), is an accepted social activity in Korea. If handled properly and not used excessively or abusively, perhaps it could be a useful tool. However, Jimin expressed that for a time he had begun to use alcohol as a way to escape and be distracted from the problems and pains in a problematic way.  He spoke of drinking alone in a small room and drinking so much he would black out. He said that he eventually realized that wasn’t a good use of alcohol and had solved that problem. However, it wouldn’t be the last time we’d hear of alcohol being used as Jimin’s chosen “medicine”.

Up to this point Jimin seemed very satisfied, appreciative, and affirmed by the success the group was achieving, not to mention the personal recognition he was receiving for his dance and improved vocal developments. (While his vocals were always good, they were becoming more reliable most often, which allowed his confidence for experimentation to soar as well.) The performance venues were getting bigger and bigger. The group was winning many awards, breaking records, and being given medals and certificates for their evergrowing accomplishments. They were about to embark on their biggest concert tour yet, which would be all stadium-sized venues.  Until… the world at large was stopped in its track by the Covid 19 pandemic. 

Literally, the entire globe shut down all at once. All around the world the global population was forced to social distance in a mandatory, medical quarantine. There was no travel, no public events, no activity. No one understood what was going on from one day to the next, and having never experienced anything like this before, the predictions of recovery were sketchy at best, nonexistent at worst.  The information and outcomes changed by the day and instead of improving, conditions got worse and worse. 

Finally, after repeated postponements, their tour was canceled. This occurred after a period of almost 2 years.  Jimin, who had come to identify himself more as the dynamic performer on stage than the young guy from Busan, was devastated.  Not only was he disappointed because all they had worked for was crashing down around them, but as he explained later, he felt his purpose for existing was disappearing.  He became extremely distressed and lost the biggest distraction from his pain, working hard to prepare then to perform. 

The love and approval Jimin got from audiences could not be experienced or felt within this isolation.  Even though BTS kept working and producing and releasing quality content throughout that time period, video streaming and posting with fans virtually was not enough to satisfy the internal aches and pains Jimin was suffering from the loss.  His internal pain had only been medicated over time but never addressed, so it was intensifying, or at least could no longer be pushed back or hidden away.

On the positive side, Jimin could have looked at the time as his now having the opportunity to rest and work on other projects and vocal practice as well as to focus on physical healing and/or strengthening. Also he could have considered how BTS’s popularity and success was spreading and growing bigger than it ever had  prior to that forced pandemic hiatus, but instead Jimin was so frustrated, hurt, and saddened by the canceled plans, the lack of human interaction, as well as some additional personal events that occurred at that time, that he seemed to just want to escape and avoid thinking about - anything.  

The reason we know about Jimin’s personal events and reactions that occurred during the global quarantine is because Jimin's entire first album was inspired by the events and documented his cataclysmic spiral that brought us to the current complaints about the Jimin we now see. 

Prior to this time, Jimin had been “breaking his back” to work on the external parts of himself and his performance.  During and after this time, Jimin’s work was on his internal parts that ultimately extended to his external side too.  Some people are suggesting he should have remained as he was and that they miss the “old Jimin”.  That disappoints me because in spite of the fact that things on his outside may look different than they did, he still looks great, but more importantly, he seems like he feels great too.  He seems more relaxed and happier - more at peace. 

When Jimin was at the peak of looking flashy and colorful, he, at times, looked miserable.  RM once said in a Live alone with Jimin that Jimin was good at hiding his feelings (with a false expression), but I don’t feel that is exactly true. Jimin actually has said he doesn’t like acting fake, and I feel he has a hard time disguising genuine feelings.  There were many times, if attention was paid, Jimin’s eyes or expression looked angry, annoyed, or sad. He didn’t earn the title “Sassy Jimin” for nothing.  If RM was right, then imagine the level of true emotion hidden under the surface if only a small amount of it actually peeked through at those times.

Back to the pandemic, if you listen to Jimin’s album, FACE, from start to finish, you hear the journey Jimin took from hurt and angry to out of control avoidance to sadness and loneliness to triumph. A common thread that weaved its way throughout the entire story was alcohol. The use and abuse of this substance to medicate, distract from, and relieve pain helped to explain the mood of this difficult story. Jimin explained that this was exactly what happened in chronological order. The lyrics and story are open, honest, raw, and revealing.  He was involved in every aspect of writing, performing and producing the album and associated music videos, and it was all stunning.  Every song is high quality and creative. Clear emotions can be heard in the music and vocals.  The performances were expressive and passionate. It was an impressive presentation of effort, work, and evolution.

When it was all said and done, during the promotion of the album and still now, Jimin has returned to brown hair and brown eyes. He also stopped wearing the styled, fitted outfits and began wearing baggier clothes that looked more comfortable and less time-intensive.  He removed the dangling earrings and extra makeup, which made him look less effeminate to some.  He looked more like that guy from Busan who had arrived 10+ years earlier. 

In the final song of FACE, called Set Me Free, Part 2, Jimin said, “Raise your hand for the old me, and set me free.”  He had explained in interviews that he realized that he was the only person who could actually set him free from the anguish, thoughts, and decisions that held him captive.  He was saying that line to himself but also to those outside who expected him to remain in the same old place.  He was done being bothered by external voices and expectations, and he wants to evolve. 

The album is called FACE, not because of Jimin’s handsome face, but because he was forced to, and then chose to, face himself and all the issues and wounds that he had both inside and out. At the end he felt he had overcome that moment and had grown. 

Does Jimin still have growing to do? Absolutely. In fact, he had lost a lot of weight for the promotions of this album. He looked too thin for his height and frame and didn't look physically strong to me (although he performed well regardless). So weight and eating issues are still a work in progress. Also by the end of his very short, jam-packed, rushed promotional period, he had overworked - as he does - and worn himself out.  Nutrition may have played a part again, but also his perfectionist tendencies likely have some room to grow too. Still, he has come a long way. He has taken huge steps and has made a great deal of progress, more than we are probably aware. 

Jimin's album has been extremely critically and publicly successful, breaking all kinds of records and garnering a great deal of outstanding reviews.  Of his many accomplishments for FACE, Jimin became the very first Korean soloist to debut at and reach #1 on Billboard's Hot100 chart.  While I don’t care much about that achievement, Korea does, BTS does, and the industry does. Congratulations to Jimin!

For the people still missing Jimin’s older style and appearance, look deeper. There is nothing wrong with preferring the previous styles or looks that anyone has, but life is a continuous, ongoing journey.  Jimin is still evolving as he also must continue to grow and develop.

I’m certain those people are not wishing that he would still be unhappy, unstable, and unpeaceful, but they must understand that his internal journey has brought him here at this time. His style might, and likely will, change again, and they may end up liking the future styles and looks more than the past. (FOOD FOR THOUGHT: a) Jimin was so involved in the production and promotion of this first time album that he was exhausted and overwhelmed doing all that he had to do and learning all that he had to learn. He probably didn’t have a lot of energy left to care about his final appearance for each event moment by moment. b) He is being paid a lot of money to be an ambassador TEMPORARILY for 2 luxury companies, so he is not in full control of his style at the moment. c) It was later discovered that Jimin went to the hospital to receive treatment for the chronic muscle cramping while performing music shows during his promotions. He may not have had the energy or time to make hairstyles and makeup his top priorities at that time.) Anyway, I hope those people realize that the more important thing is to appreciate and hope for his mental and emotional self to be solid, so he can be comfortable in whatever style he chooses to rock.  

How I know that he is still exploring and working on those next steps is because in a very recent Live he explained that he was going back to basics to build up himself and his skills from the beginning stages, in spite of the fact that we know he is already operating at exceptional levels. The experience, told about in FACE, allowed him to be able to face past shortcomings and future goals so much so that he is doing something about it.  Never count out a focused Park Jimin. Look how high that brown-eyed, brown-haired, grounded - but determined - guy from Busan has risen so far. 🤩


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1 year ago

As information unfolds...

I have not expressed my thoughts in detail about the conversations involving how the different BTS solo promotions have occurred. I was not planning to, but after reading several conversations recently, I finally decided to document my overall thoughts with the information we know up to this point. It is important to realize that new information may be presented at any time that would give more clarity to our thoughts about a given situation. At least hopefully.

So each member of BTS has presented solo work, most in album form and some in individual songs (Jin, JK [so far]). Because the company, nor the members, provide extremely transparent communication, fans are most often left to form their own conclusions based on what they do see. Sometimes the outcomes meet expectations, and sometimes they don't. Without information, the conclusions drawn could be closer to correct or way off base and closer to wrong. As new information becomes aware, people should reassess their original thoughts and form updated conclusions. No harm, no foul -- unless while expressing your thoughts, the disappointment and anger causes you to spew negativity and divisiveness, AND the people hearing your thoughts are not considerately accepting of others' observations and thoughts. So it's not just the people telling their thoughts that can be negative, it is also the people hearing the thoughts that can create negativity.

Lately, I have been hearing conversations implying that those who expressed their views prior to new information coming out were wrong to do so. Those same people are saying that not only were the others proven 100% wrong, but they never should have stated their thoughts in the first place. My problem with this is many are acting like the new information proves that the answer was 100% this way or that way. That's not true at all. The people expressed their thoughts based on the facts that were available at the time and expressed their conclusion about it then. The other people thought there may be more to the story, and they either suggested other possible conclusions or chose to not form a conclusion at that time. The problem is that many on both sides felt the need to also criticize any differing views rather than to just simply express their own thoughts.

So the topic is Jimin's celebration cake for being the first ever Korean soloist to debut #1 on Billboard's Hot100 chart. I was one who noticed the lack of cake but didn't make a huge public declaration about it. Some were angry about the cake representing all that seemed to have gone wrong with Jimin's album promotions. In their anger, some were hostile and their attitude was not helpful or productive. However, it was alright for all of those who felt that way to express their feelings (minus the hostility). Once Jimin's documentary was announced, we saw that there, in fact, was a cake & banner to celebrate the achievement. Great. So Jimin had what looked like a cake. (For a later conversation: Jimin doesn't like sweets and cakes, and they have a lot of cakes over time, so I feel they use decorative models for celebration purposes sometimes. Based only on my speculation and how it looked. Re: JMs 2023 birthday "cake" was a breakable candy cake with pictures inside.)

For those who feel that the cake picture proves all those with opposing thoughts completely wrong, I feel that the late date for the cake reveal could have possibly been for damage control also. Possibly. After all, JM shows up on each birthday and blows out candles on a cake that he doesn't eat because he knows it's important to fans. Tae made a note to mention why he wasn't celebrating with cake. They heard the feedback, I'm pretty sure. They either didn't do the cake or they didn't post the picture at that time. Either way, how were fans supposed to know that? They weren't, so people expressed their feelings about it. They felt, along with everything else that was neglected, the lack of a cake was yet another slight. Seeing the picture now doesn't negate their feelings and conclusions for back then.

With now seeing the cake and what looks like the type of hairstyle he had back at that time, it looks fairly legit, and those people should now have the maturity AND space to say, "Ok. I'm glad I was wrong and Jimin did, in fact, get celebrated with a cake for the Hot100 achievement." They also have the right to say that the presence of a cake doesn't fix many of the other avoidable issues with his album rollout and promotions. So this revelation does not disprove the overall concerns of the people who mentioned the lack of celebration (It was never fully about the cake itself for most anyway.), yet some are acting as though it proves everything. I do agree that the hostility in communicating about this topic could have been better on all sides.

For those who felt offended that everyone didn't jump on your bandwagon about the missing cake and agree with your conclusion right away or at all, the other side has a point in not jumping to quick conclusions without knowing if there is more information to explain what you are seeing. It could be helpful and save some emotional strain, if others' views are considered as possibilities and to allow time to reveal more information before fighting so angrily about something that is not fully certain. The eventual outcome of this situation supports that direction for future events. In other words, both sides have room for points and for growth.

Finally, I read a post today that very nicely expressed that Jimin may have read about fans' disappointment and internalized it. It was a very good point to keep in mind how your comments can be taken. While many were well-intentioned about defending Jimin, there certainly were underlying meanings that could be taken to suggest that Jimin made mistakes and didn't do enough. I agree but have 2 new thoughts to add to consideration.

1) Of the many things the company should learn from this experience is that they should have guided and helped the guys more than it appears (especially the Maknae who had never done albums/mixtapes before). If Jimin slipped on creating, promoting, and rolling out this album, it was possibly because he didn't know enough information. He'll know more next time by default. (Re: Suga on Suchwita had said that when doing solo work, each member is responsible for setting up their own promotions. Why?)

2) Jimin has shown that he is intelligent enough to learn from his experiences. I trust that he is the type to understand why concerns and support for him were expressed and learn from it and use it to inform his actions about future projects. He, in fact, expressed how surprised he was for all the love and support he received for this album. I think he is emotionally intelligent enough to tell the difference between the true destructive haters and those who cared for him but expressed themselves in a passionate way.

Still, we can learn from this situation ourselves and do better. After all, there is always room for improvement. Our Park Jimin models learning, reflecting, and growing to us all the time. Let us try to be more like Park Jimin in this way.


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1 year ago

Jimin’s Production Diary Documentary

Things I learned or confirmed

When Jimin does new projects, I’m never quite sure what to expect because each of his products has been so diverse and creative.  Based on every project so far, what I am sure of is that I’ll be delighted by whatever he creates and/or will learn something from it - usually both.  I have enjoyed all of Jimin’s solo songs within the BTS catalog. I have also liked his solo creations outside of BTS. My appreciation and enjoyment were even more heightened with his impressive debut solo album, FACE.  For me, it is a no skip album, which is rare for me. I already wrote my pre- and post-release thoughts about the album and its contents in other posts (See my FACE posts in my archive for more.), so I won’t go back into that information. This time I wanted to speak more about Jimin’s Production Diary documentary, which shows the making of the album. 

I’m really glad they released the documentary for several reasons.  For me, I learned a method of how songs can be made. I definitely didn’t know any process by which this was done, and I’ve always wanted BTS to show more of their development activities. However, with competition, I understand why they haven’t revealed details of these methods. In this documentary, I also got to know Jimin more and got to hear his laughter, which is always delightful for me.  For others who may have doubts, the release of the documentary was to make sure there was recorded evidence that Jimin was involved in the process 100%.  I feel that is one of the reasons that Jimin released photos of his handwritten, songwriting notes within the WeVerse version of his album. Another reason for the photos may have been that some of the lyrics he loved could not be used in the final recordings, but he wanted fans to know a fuller version of what his story and words were.

Jimin has previously said he is good at creating melodies, and this documentary verified that.  In addition to this album, prior melodies have been attributed to Jimin both in his solo projects (i.e. Promise; Christmas Love) and in BTS content (i.e. Friends; Blood, Sweat, & Tears; Dis-ease).  When they were recording Dis-ease, a producer heard Jimin humming something to a beat and asked him to work with that to write a bridge for the incomplete song. Jimin's bridge was included in the final recording. The same type of interaction could be seen in the documentary when Jimin was working with legendary producer PDogg as well as GhstLoop and Evan. Jimin was constantly pacing around and humming in the background. They’d overhear him, like what they heard, and record it right away into a phone or directly into the track then work from there. Many of the off-the-cuff creations were used in the final drafts. 

Included in the BTS book Beyond The Story, Jimin recalled that during the (cringy) BTS reality show American Hustle Life, he was excited that a well known hiphop producer, with whom they were fortunate enough to be exposed at that time, had assigned Jimin to write a melody. He said it was the first time someone entrusted him to do that. It touched him so much that I have heard him repeat this story a few times, and he made sure to include it in the book.  I wonder if that producer heard a pacing Jimin humming and thought what he heard was pretty good.  Either way, at some point Jimin realized creating melodies was a strength of his. In fact, he called himself an “idea bank” while working with his team on the album (and videos).  I’ve heard him previously joke about being the idea man while others would develop the ideas into action.  These descriptions were confirmed in the documentary.

After all the hype about autotune being used on Jimin’s voice, the documentary should have proven to people that much of what was thought to be autotune was actually just Jimin’s voice. It’s not to say they didn’t use any at all for creative enhancements (as they do in 99% of songs these days), but in spite of even Jimin’s protestations sometimes, Jimin is a good vocalist. He just has that versatile of a voice that he is able to use more pitches, textures, and articulations (fry, squeak, creak) than most vocalists or more than most people would expect from singers. Despite the documentary showing them recording gibberish as words to capture the tune of the melody they wanted (not yet focusing on the final lyrics or singing effort), you could hear what ended up being the final sound of the songs taking shape. 

I mention Jimin’s protestations about his voice because lately, Jimin has been asking fans to wait for him because he will become a good singer.  I’m astonished by those comments because I actually think he is a great singer already. He is able to sound uniquely different, express emotion, and add flavor more than most singers I have heard.  Can everyone add to and improve skills they are already good at?  Of course.  But it sounds as though he is implying that he is not a good singer yet - which could be a mistranslation of what he means. A listener can say they do not prefer his voice, but to say he is in any way a bad singer is just spitefully inaccurate.

Early on, as Jimin was learning his craft and using his untrained voice, there were vocal strains and occasional inconsistencies that likely made him concerned about the stability of his voice. (See my “Chameleon Park Jimin Series” in my archives for more.) Jimin was not trained properly (or at all) to be a singer and especially to be a stage singer (which is different in some ways) and with his higher pitch, lighter tone, and all the dancing and movement they do, he did an excellent job with stability but would have benefitted from instruction about how to use and preserve his voice most effectively and reliably. With as unique a voice as Jimin has, I do wonder if the company had anyone on hand that understood just how to train a voice such as his. Jimin, in large part, is a self-trained singer, which may have allowed him to tap into all these different sounds and skills that other vocalists don’t always do.  (I am not excusing or rewarding the lack of training because he also could have damaged his vocal chords, thus destroying his rare vocal gift.)  Anyway, he says he is working on strengthening and (re)learning some skills from the ground up, which could only help to enhance an already stellar ability.  

Along with debunking the autotune nonsense, the documentary also confirmed a few other things that I already knew. One is that Jimin thrives from interactions with people. He really enjoyed that process of collaboration with his production team. I hope he continues to surround himself with skilled and supportive people, such as what he seemed to have in the “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band”, which is what the team of 4 named themselves. I don’t recall the reason for the name, but it demonstrates the fun and camaraderie the group had while working together. Jimin was also shown reaching out to RM for advice about lyrics and to JK to sing background vocals on a special song.  He has mentioned having conversations with JHope that sounded like encouragement throughout the process. Jimin is a people person, and he is getting better at reaching out for help and support, something he has said in the past he has had trouble doing. I hope he is able to continue to identify good, reliable, trustworthy people with whom he can work comfortably and create more enjoyable work.

Another confirmation was that Jimin was celebrated for the Hot100 #1 chart achievement with not one, but two cakes! (See my “As Information Unfolds” post in my archives for more.) I’m glad that he and the team were recognized at least within the company for the accomplishment. In spite of the fact that I feel someone dropped the ball on not revealing the acknowledgement earlier, I wasn’t one who was hugely disturbed by the lack of cake, especially knowing that Jimin doesn’t really love sweets and cakes and that he unfortunately still has weight/dieting issues and worked to lose too much weight before the promotional performances. The documentary showed him go from what looked like a healthy weight while working on the album to an extremely thin weight by the time the Hot100 news came out, when he was in the midst of promotional activities. I looked up the healthy weight for someone of his height, and the goal he was trying to maintain during promotions is far below what is listed. (He mentioned weight, dieting, & food several times this year from Vibe to FACE, but this comment was specifically in a behind the scenes video for Set Me Free, Part 2.)

Finally, the documentary confirms that Jimin is growing and developing in a lot of areas, while remaining sweetly and comfortably the same Jimin we came to love and enjoy.  I really was pleased to see him being encouraged by the acceptance and use of his contributions. The team helped Jimin pull together his thoughts, story, and concepts, and they were all pleased with the results. (Prior to the release of FACE, PDogg posted a photo of a statement they hung on the wall that said that Jimin was going to end KPop with the release of this album. That is quite a statement from an experienced producer such as PDogg, even if it was only meant as a statement of encouragement and confidence in the artist.) Even Jimin, who can be rather hard on himself, seemed happy with what he created.  I feel this experience was something he has needed in order to shine with the confidence he should always carry.  He needed that type of environment and support to help him to feel free to express and expose all the creativity I have always felt he had, and I believe there is far more than we’ve seen so far.  I feel Jimin has been reminded of that passion he has known within himself, and he seems excited to share more of his efforts.  

While Jimin was very disappointed about the pandemic and all that resulted from the quarantine time, I hope he is able to look back and appreciate events that happened in the midst of that time, which might not have come to pass without that situation. That moment may have helped him get to a road he needed to be on that he had only imagined up to that point.  I’m glad he got to experience the production of and success of his album before he has to pause to complete his military service.  I hope he can carry the memories and energy generated from this experience to motivate him throughout the time he is serving. I also hope he learned from the quarantine experience that good things can sometimes come from events that seem off track.  FACE was an excellent start to Jimin’s solo career, and I look forward to seeing what else he will produce in the future.  

Note: I have not yet seen the accompanying full Live or Commentary videos, which may add to my thoughts and fill in more gaps.   (UPDATE: To PDogg's claim, Jimin became the first Korean soloist to have album to make the Billboard 200 end of year list [#193]).


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1 year ago

Jimin \\//\\//\\// Military Duty...

2023... Jimin had quite a year, starting with becoming a global ambassador to 2 luxury companies: Dior and Tiffany & Co. to successfully collaborating on the song Vibe with his longtime role model, Taeyang of Big Bang, to his successful first solo album, FACE, to making history and earning many accolades and awards for his album to doing engaging dance challenges, including two with his friend and fellow idol, Taemin of Shinee, to traveling alone publicly with Jung Kook. There were so many highlights and memorable moments, including his historic awards and his equally historic end-of-year chart placements for his recording efforts.  With all that said, action-packed 2023 will literally end with Jimin's enlistment to complete his mandatory military service.

After all the rumors & leaked information, we finally got official confirmation from BigHits that JM & the remaining 3 BTS members (RM, V, & JK) are set to leave for their military service on 12/11 and 12/12 of 2023.

As I understand it, Jimin will serve in one of the more dangerous frontline sections, and he will enlist under a companion program with Jung Kook. The 2 will serve together and provide support for each other.  They are the only 2 of the 7 who chose to enlist in this way.

The country provides this opportunity, so the 2 applied to the program and were accepted to join & serve in unison. I also understand that as a result of their selection, they were able to choose on which base to serve, so they selected the one where Jin is stationed. I hope the "buddy program", as some call it, really does allow them to look after each other and support each other so they can successfully complete this requirement with peace of mind. 

Due to the imminent departure, the remaining 4 did a WeLive together a few days ago.  One reason was to say good-bye, but I feel another reason was to beg the fans not to show up at the facility on the days of enlistment. This is, after all, the maknae line, which is the most popular line within BTS.  If crowds showed up, it could get messy and, as the guys said, dangerous for them and others enlisting on these days.  Hopefully, the fans will honor the request. 

I wish all 7 members well and hope they all remain safe and return uninjured, having grown from the experience.  

Jimin 💜💜 - BTS💜- 2025


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1 year ago

*Closer Than This* MORE Thoughts...

Links included. (Note: This is not about the song Closer Than This but adds to a topic brought up in that previous post.)

In my first Closer Than This post I said: As all of the BTS members have now gone to the military, old & new content continues to be released. With that, more has been revealed & discussed about Jimin’s difficult start. After completing the post, that thought remained on my mind. Eventually, the reason for my reflection became more clear.

I recently rewatched Jimin’s appearance on Suga’s show, Suchwita. During the conversation with Suga, Jimin said, “I was in a rush.” when he was explaining why he worked so hard, would cry before performances, & was frustrated when BTS was starting out. When I first saw the show, I thought JM meant he was in a rush only because he was anxious and impatient to very quickly be a big deal (for lack of a better term), but then I remember watching JK watch JMs episode of Suchwita and went back to watch that too. JKs reaction to that part of the conversation always stuck out to me, but since he didn’t elaborate, I wasn’t sure what his reaction meant, so I pushed it to the back of my mind - until now.  

This time when I heard JM & Suga’s conversation, in light of the things I have recently seen & have been reminded of, I realized Jimin likely meant he was in a rush due to the limited time he had to prepare to debut. He was the last to arrive as a trainee and only had a short time before the actual debut. Ooooh! That makes more sense with all of the information coming together in my mind. 

However, Suga continued in Suchwita as though Jimin meant what I thought the first time. He said, according to translation, Jimin always wanted to look so cool & confident right away but that passing time would have helped with that eventually.  Well, when you’re a new band, trying to succeed, you don’t know how much time you have to improve. Will the band end or continue? Will you personally be kicked out or be kept? AND you don’t want to be the reason the band doesn't make it. Jin even said that he practiced additional time so he wouldn’t hold back all the others, who seemed so talented and advanced to him. So when JM & Suga were talking about this time period, and Suga is referring to the older conversation I mentioned in the previous post, where he had spoken with Jimin in the car years ago, it pretty much matches the idea that in spite of how it exactly happened, it ultimately ended out that JM complained to Suga about being trained to rap when he felt he wasn't very good at it, and he really wanted to be a singer. Suga ultimately advocated to the company for JM to become a singer.

However, my point is that Jimin had the opportunity during Suchwita to set the record straight about his start --- but he didn’t. I have been frustrated & disappointed lately about how Jimin’s origin story is continually not fully and clearly told so people understand not only how difficult his beginning was & why he had some early hiccups in his performances but also so people could see how huge his development and accomplishments truly are, considering all that happened since then.

JKs response (specifically at 25:07)  confirmed that, like the Dumpling Incident between Jimin and V, there is more to this story.  JK sort of Hmf’d and said, “Ah. What is he talking about? Ah, Yoongi hyung really…” according to the translation.  My impression then and now is that JK wasn’t fully buying how Suga was explaining the situation either.  

If you recall, earlier this year there was a big complaint by fans about a segment of the BTSIsland game “In the SEOM". JMs game character was complaining about struggling with performance and Suga’s game character was rather unsympathetic with its response. He told the JM character that he needed to practice more, and if he had time to feel down, he had time to practice more. He also said that if the JM character didn’t improve, they might have to leave him on the island and basically move on without him. Fans felt the scene misrepresented the “real” relationship between Suga and JM.  The game generally takes events that really occurred and acts it out in the game/cartoon environment.  I haven’t played the game at all, but I have seen snips from it, and this appears to be how it works.

In the real life conversation between JM & Suga in the car, this part of the conversation has JM mentioning JK’s voice and Suga’s response is that if JM wants to sing like JK, he has to work harder.  Working harder doesn’t help much without training and instruction (which JM may have just started getting AFTER debut). Remember: JK had had more training than JM up to that point due to the JM rapper fiasco and JKs training happened while they were not busy working and performing. Suga’s comments to crying JM back then at debut time had been pretty much “Who is this guy? Get up there and sing. Get better later.” So I’m not so sure that the cartoon was meant to disparage the events that actually happened back then, and it actually may have been more accurate than fans felt comfortable hearing.

We know that Suga is a straight shooter when he speaks and can be very direct and blunt in his communication. His intention may have even been to motivate JM rather than destroy him, but it is a rather sharp and potentially damaging way to accomplish that. I do feel that in time Suga overall was and is supportive of JM and really cares for him in a special way, but they were all young and under pressure and weren’t/aren’t always perfect in their actions or choices, so it is possible that as the group was getting to know each other and tensions were high, the relationships weren’t as informed or kind as they later became. Remember: Jimin arrived late to the program, so he had less time to bond with these new members also.

 In any event, I’m sure there is more to all the stories we know about BTS and their journey, and we are likely never going to know all the details for a variety of reasons. Jimin may have had many reasons for not clarifying the story.  He may have felt it would have been seen as complaining, and it might have ended up creating bad blood with the company to highlight their shortcomings.  It might be that JM doesn’t feel it matters as much as it does to me.  It could be that he was being respectful to Suga as his hyung and on his show. It could be for a reason I don’t know. Also, maybe JK’s reaction indicates that Suga didn’t actually come across as supportive at the time as it was being stated, even though behind the scenes Suga did advocate for JMs singing and position, as is seen in other instances throughout their career.

Anyway, BTS’s story, due to complexity and sometimes lack of transparency, inspires so much thought about their actual experiences but also about how those experiences apply to our own real life interactions and situations. This is just another piece of the huge Bangtan puzzle I have thought about and wanted to organize in my mind.


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1 year ago

Jimin & Bangtan - 2024

What a year 2023 was in Bangtan World. 🤩🤪😱💜

For Jimin specifically, I hope he was able to hear about all of the recognition and achievements he has earned from enduring his experiences and then exerting so much creative effort in so many different directions (music, dance, photoshoots, Lives, art, etc.).

As 2024 begins, we are still receiving word of accomplishments that his album and his subsequently-released single song (Closer Than This) achieved - and are still achieving.  I am a little disappointed that he wasn’t able to go receive awards in person in order to hear the applause and thank anyone and everyone he wanted to acknowledge publicly. On the other hand, it may have worked out for the best with all that he had going on in preparing to pause his career and go into the military for a while - not to mention pulling together all of the work he was leaving behind for fans. I do feel Jimin has seen and internalized at least some of the positive feedback because he seemed more relaxed, happy, and comfortable in the final appearances and performances we were able to see (so far! 😀).

With all the negativity Jimin receives, the fullness of the love and support so many more people feel for him possibly gets muted by the volume and persistence of the hate. It is reasonable that Jimin would (as anyone would) need to be encouraged and reminded every now and then about the true, larger amounts of love and devotion that people have for him. It was heartwarming for us to know he saw the hearts and loyalty of fans, whom he loves and speaks to with such affection, by way of the results and response to his album. I feel that, with his work, he also wanted to finally show all the naysayers what he was capable of, and I feel the results exceeded even his own expectations. As is Park Jimin, he is grateful and proud of the results, and so are we.

The point for this post is that there have been 2 items on my mind recently. One is a clarification of something I had written about and the other is a thought about future projects.

First, I want to clarify that although I have stated that I don’t feel the songs Letter nor Closer Than This are solely fan songs, I don’t want it to seem like I am implying that JM does not genuinely care about his fans immensely. I feel that all BTS members love and appreciate the fans significantly, especially because they know how passionate, loyal, and hardworking the fans have been in spite of all the trouble and pressure they all have endured throughout their career. They all have stated and realized that without the collaboration of BTS’s hard work and the fanbase’s hard work, they would not have been able to overcome the sabotage, obstruction, and malevolence that was against them from the start - and still is today.  Jimin also loves and appreciates the fans a great deal for the same reasons. 

With that in mind, I believe that due to the accumulation of hate, threats, and harmful actions against JM, he significantly decreased the amount of time he comes online and the amount of information he shares. He used to be one who continually kept us informed of things happening with the group. He would tell fans how he was honestly feeling and was much more open and light when he was talking with fans online. Now he is considered one of the more reclusive, guarded, and private members of the group. Their harm was our loss, and I don’t blame and am not angry with Jimin at all for those changes. I totally understand his decision, which could change again over time.

In light of all of that transition, Jimin found other ways to connect with and express his feelings for and to fans. So I want to say that Jimin is not trying to fool anyone by saying those songs are gifts to Army. They are. I have said that I feel JM is able to write so all parties involved can receive the gifts and hear the love intended for them in those songs. It’s a clever way of honestly and genuinely speaking to all parties using the same words but with slightly different meanings depending on who the listener is. JM has demonstrated he is a sincere, caring person, who shows love openly, whether it is in the form of songs, charitable donations, letters, actions, or spoken words. Those songs are genuine gifts from Jimin, presented to fans, but also to anyone else he may be speaking to.

Second, my other topic is not a concern as much as it is a thought about future projects.  I just found out (but haven’t verified) that Face-Off is the 4th song from Jimin’s album that achieved over 100 million streams. Jimin has had huge results for his debut album. I’m very proud of him and the fans who worked diligently against a lot of odds.  Because of these results, I was thinking about PJM2, as fans call his 2nd anticipated album.

FACE, his 1st album, set the bar pretty high. I am hoping that the work, the fans, and the results for the future items are equally as impressive, if not better. The excellent results for Closer Than This comforted me in that JM has, of course, prepared quality work and is trying new things (which can be courageous and risky). Also, after all the hard work fans did for FACE, they are still enthusiastic and engaged in JM’s projects, as is seen with CTT results. As I said earlier, JM being busy with military efforts may have worked out for the best.  It has been said that the anticipation of putting out a sophomore (2nd) album after a successful first venture can be nerve wrecking on the artist, even if it turns out well, so Jimin being distracted might spare him the possible anxiety. Either way, this year my appreciation for JM and his fans has increased beyond the impressed feelings I already had. 

2023 has been emotionally, financially, and mentally exhausting for this fandom. As I’ve stated in my BTS Fandom post, I look forward to the entire fandom getting cleansed, stronger, and more unified by the time we get to Chapter 3. [By the way, I’ve been trying to find a place to say this: I know RM says Chapter 2 begins after they all return from the military, but honestly, the solo period has been so action-packed, substantial, and noteworthy, that I think it deserves its own chapter.  So for me, Chapter 3 is when they all return from the military and reunite. Whatever chapter you call it, we all are looking forward to the healthy, safe return of all 7 Bangtan members.]

Happy 2024, everyone!

* reposted with minor edit


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1 year ago

Chameleon Park Jimin: Your Filter - Afterthoughts

~ Written after seeing & reflecting on new & old information ~

I had written a previous post where I stated that, for any topic, as new information comes out, people should reconsider their previous thoughts or conclusions and update their views, if needed. [See my As Information Unfolds… post.]  I also feel people might reflect on already known information, and as new experiences or new levels of thinking develop, they might also update their views on a subject. Although I had nothing planned to write at the moment, both of those situations occurred, which led to my wanting to organize some thoughts today.  This post also follows up on another post where I wrote about the transitions and contortions Jimin was put through during his BTS experience. [See my 4-part Chameleon Park Jimin posts.]  I explained how his convoluted journey had its price, which Jimin paid for with mental and physical currency. 

Recently Big Hits put out a documentary, Beyond The Star, that showed a collection of memories and interviews from BTS’s debut to their efforts and achievements to the Covid-19 quarantine to living separately into the solo era. In this current documentary series, Jimin stated (according to translation), “There were times I worked hard because I wanted our team to be successful together, times when I was forced to do it by someone else, and times when I did it out of arrogance. I went through a lot of processes to come this far.  I believe that now is the time to try a lot of different things. I want to do something that’s more fun than laborious.”  (Boy, I love his reflective thoughtfulness.) In support of my previous posts, I take that to mean he worked hard and sacrificed a lot to assist BTS in getting where they are, but he is now ready to use the privilege of freedom & choice that his blood, sweat, & tears earned.

 Anyway, as I was considering all of this, Jimin’s song Filter came on my music streaming service.  FILTER.  Yes, this song fits right in with this topic and goes right along with my Chameleon Park Jimin series! I recall Jimin saying (I think in a Live) that he contributed a great deal to this song Filter so that it said exactly what he wanted it to say.  To me, the song was saying he was good at becoming whatever you want him to be. He already has and continues to prove that to the world.  He has been manly, sexy, pretty, sassy, and cute, and he did it all so well that the public was convinced that each version was actually him. 

In Filter, he states (in translation), “You'll be wanting only me. Yeah, because you are the one who made me.” Whatever the company wanted, the fans reacted to, the band needed, he became that thing. Perfectionist & talented Jimin could pull off any of it convincingly, regardless of whether it is possibly nothing he really is or nothing he is actually comfortable displaying. In Filter, he boldly assures you that he “can thrill you”, and we already know he can do it so well that he’ll “take you to a whole new world” [translated lyrics].  If he didn’t already know before his experience as Chameleon Park Jimin in BTS, he has since proven it even to himself that he is capable of transforming into almost anything. Re: He’s. your. fil.ter. 😉

In addition to being your filter, Park Jimin is also a work in progress (as are we all). In viewing more currently released content that include more interviews and revelations, we are learning more and more that in actuality, without a costume and a stage, Jimin is truly a quieter, sillier, almost awkwardly shy person. [ASIDE: When my sister first introduced me to BTS, she described Jimin as a “giggle box” and based on what I had seen up to that point, which were mostly performances, I dismissed her description as ridiculous.  I eventually went back to her and apologized, since I later saw that she was totally right. 😃]  Which one or which part is the real Jimin? Are all of them or none of them Park Jimin of Busan?  In his song Like Crazy (Korean version translation), the lyrics say, “Did I come too far to find the me you used to know?” Was he talking to fans? To himself? Or to both? Did he get so lost in the lights that he even got confused by all the versions he had morphed into and out of over time?

 If you have ever watched Jimin watch himself on video, he is often not as proud of himself and his work as it seems he should be for the amount of success he has achieved. He often cringes, sometimes hollers, and often looks away when seeing his younger actions. (Look for footage of BTS reacting to their own work.) We all could feel that way if we were forced to watch better-forgotten moments from our youth, but Jimin’s is a bit more extreme than even the other members’.  He certainly did the most eye-catching performances or actions on stage (re: flipping, dancing, high notes, sassing, etc.), but still his reaction at times comes across as more self-judgmental than shyness. 

Even if you watch him as he watches his current Production Diary documentary that he watched live along with the fans-  (Yes, you know the one. He had his orangish, pre-blonde hair again and JK stopped in for a quick visit.)  -you saw that presently he’s gotten far better at not reacting as loudly and as obviously disdainfully toward himself, but you still see the more mature, more guarded version of the cringe reaction. If you observe closely, you will see his expression slightly change, see him strategically look away to view the comments online, and other mild reactions.

I think that is part of the revelation as to why Jimin recently decided to start from the ground up and relearn his skills. He said he was actually “embarrassed” by things he viewed during his promotions.  What things? In my view, the promotion period was short but went well. There are always things anyone could have done differently or better during every performance. That is true for all performers. So he may not yet have fully learned to just accept what he is capable of doing at that moment and to continue forward from there. He seems to feel he needs to change his performance more than to accept his best efforts & abilities at that time. He saw a need to change, regardless of the positive feedback he has gotten from those viewing the products and performances.

I am not saying there is anything wrong with wanting to improve; however, his reflection seemed a bit more harsh than needed, based on what we know of the situation anyway. Remember: Jimin is known as a perfectionist. That means he views himself through a self-critical lens and is hardly satisfied with what he sees in or from himself.  Sadly. It must be a tortuous way to exist. He is able to appreciate and compliment the efforts of others, but for himself, he lacks that same degree of objective empathy.  

I will add, though, that Jimin seems to have become more relaxed and happier in more recent times. He has shared with us that he truly enjoyed the production experience in creating his solo album. We recently saw behind-the-scenes moments of him creating his "ThisIsJimin" dance segments, where he seemed more at ease and positive than I think I've ever seen him, especially toward his own work and output. We definitely are viewing a new transformation for our Chameleon Park Jimin, and this change is a very productive and welcome evolution to see.

I won’t be writing about this here because: 1) I have not sorted out my thoughts on it yet, and 2) I don’t have enough information to form a valuable opinion about it at this time, but it makes me wonder about Jimin’s family dynamics, pre-BTS experiences, and his unknown BTS circumstances that helped to form the Jimin we “know” today.  I feel that Jimin has a very interesting story, and perspective of his story, that I would love to hear. I doubt I will ever hear it, but I do get mixed feelings that Jimin both wants to keep the secrets for a variety of reasons, but also that he really wants to share his story, the fuller truth - mainly to help others who might relate to it more than to expose others.

In his recent song Closer Than This, Jimin said, “On the spring day we meet again, I’ll tell you everything I couldn’t before.” Really?🤔   Maybe the possibility of my hearing his story is looking up.  Another good reason to look forward to 2025 and beyond.  🙂


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1 year ago

JIMIN'S TATTOOS

Jimin is a complex, interesting person, who I personally describe as a dichotomy. 

“A dichotomy is a contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.” 

Early on, I had many moments where I fluctuated back and forth about Jimin overall being more: 

Loud or quiet? Street popping or ballet dancing? Private or revealing? Feminine or masculine? Introverted or extroverted? Strong or vulnerable?

I have come to the conclusion that he is all the conflicting descriptions combined in some degree of equity. If he does not possess the traits equally, he manages them with such finesse that they are represented with equal amounts of ease.  That’s one of the many things that makes him interesting to me. He is a comfortable combination of each of those attributes.  As a result,  for a while I had a difficult time pinning down exactly who I felt he was. I’m still not 100% sure, but I do know he is extremely sincere about all the different characteristics he exemplifies. Even though he has had to mature into the discovery and execution of each, he ultimately embraces both sides with ease - and I’m sure he is still developing himself, as are we all. He is a true Libra, who are often associated with being strong in “balance, justice, beauty, and harmony”. (So says my research, since I’m not into zodiac information a lot.) 

So today I wanted to talk about his tattoos. The reason this is part of the conversation about Jimin being a dichotomy is because it is known that Jimin aspired to and loves being an idol. Well, in Korea, tattoos are frowned upon and yet Jimin was the first of BTS to get a tattoo. In fact, he now has a total of seven (or 11, depending how you’re counting them). 

JIMIN'S TATTOOS

Credit: Alexia Martinez

Jimin got the tattoos slowly over time, and he seems to have chosen ones that have specific significance for him. For example, his ‘13’ tattoo has an attachment to his birthday (10/13), BTS’s debut day and year (6/13/2013), AND his fan-given initials, JM. J is the 10th letter of the English alphabet and M is the 13th letter of the alphabet (10/13) [I wish I could give official credit to where I read that a while ago. Charge my head and not my heart.].  I doubt Jimin connects it to the last item, but it’s cute. ((And for you JiKookers out there, Jimin’s name has 5 letters and Jung Kook has 8 letters.  5 + 8 = 13  Get it?) ) The first two certainly are pretty understandably signficant in meaning.  The ‘13’ was his first tattoo.  His most recent personal tattoo is the continuation of the moon phases on his back. (The top moon was done separately from the lower four.) 

Jimin’s actual final tattoo is the very special “7” he got on the inside of his index finger. This is one that all 7 members of BTS got in unison to represent the 7 members of the team. It is their friendship tattoo. They all got it in personally-chosen scripts and on personally-chosen body parts.  I like Jimin’s choice of location on his finger, where he said he chose that location so the fans could see it when he holds his microphone to talk or sing. He has since had many opportunities to flash it toward fans on different occasions.  I feel all of Jimin’s selections were well-placed and well-designed.  I feel they were done in a classy way, which does suit Jimin’s style and demeanor as we know him. You can research what Jimin has said are the meanings of the different tattoos, if at all. That wasn’t the purpose of this post.  My question is: if Jimin takes being an idol as seriously as we’ve heard, and he is likely well aware that tattoos are not approved in Korea, why is there such a contrast where he got not only one but 7 tattoos?  I generally have seen Jimin as being a “rule follower”. So is Jimin compliant or defiant? As I suggested earlier about the other traits, I think he is both.

The fact that Jimin embraces both sides of a characteristic comfortably does not mean he is indecisive. It means he’s inclusive. This feature is what likely allows him to be as empathetic and compassionate toward others as he has been described on many occasions. He can understand and accept these different aspects in others because he feels and operates on both sides with comfortable ease.  He realizes that there are times to be agreeable to certain expectations and standards, but that there are times that the restriction is not necessary or satisfactory for personal growth, expression, or freedom.  

This beautiful mixture of what appear to be opposing forces within Jimin actually makes him the unique individual he is. He is someone who incites passion in people on all sides. There are those of us who are in awe of and inspired by Jimin and how he carries himself, while there are others who are confused and threatened by this person who defies typical and stereotypical definitions. Some have even called him fake because they can’t believe that someone like Jimin actually exists or could possibly be genuine, but in fact, he does and is.  He’s my bias, the dichotomous Park Jimin.  He is imperfectly perfect. 💜

Jimin's tattoos are not only loved and talked about, they're inspiring other people. 

According to the language learning platform Preply, Jimin ranks #6 in "Celebrities Inspiring the World's Tattoo Choices." 

He's the only Asian on the list, with global icons and superstars. pic.twitter.com/oZBqdyBysD

— Jimin Global (@JiminGlobal) February 25, 2023

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10 months ago

Jimin's 2024 birthday is coming up. Keep sending positive energy and good thoughts his way while he's away. Continue to stream MUSE and waiting patiently for his return.

Saved Under Inspiration, Comfort & Happiness;
Saved Under Inspiration, Comfort & Happiness;
Saved Under Inspiration, Comfort & Happiness;
Saved Under Inspiration, Comfort & Happiness;
Saved Under Inspiration, Comfort & Happiness;
Saved Under Inspiration, Comfort & Happiness;
Saved Under Inspiration, Comfort & Happiness;

Saved under inspiration, comfort & happiness;

happy birthday, park jimin ♡


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9 months ago

JimTober 2024

The many faces of Park Jimin. For my thoughts about it, read my Jimin Bio Series - Chameleon Park Jimin, parts 1-4.

A - Z With #JIMIN
A - Z With #JIMIN
A - Z With #JIMIN
A - Z With #JIMIN
A - Z With #JIMIN
A - Z With #JIMIN
A - Z With #JIMIN
A - Z With #JIMIN
A - Z With #JIMIN
A - Z With #JIMIN

A - Z with #JIMIN

D: Dreamy

[cr.:in the soop season 1:qdeoks,memories 2019,namuspromised,memoroes 2020,winter package 2020,ptd on stage: @/joonie]


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11 months ago

I leave this website for a couple of hours and come back to my dashboard FILLED with shirtless Chan, Jungkook and Jimin 🫠 And Jeongin’s solo performance with all the body rolls???

WHEN DID THIS BECOME SUCH A WHOREHOUSE????


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3 years ago
Did A Little Animation On The Eyes. Ngl, I'm Actually Pretty Proud Of This Piece. It's Very Accurate
Did A Little Animation On The Eyes. Ngl, I'm Actually Pretty Proud Of This Piece. It's Very Accurate

🎉✨Did a little animation on the eyes. Ngl, I'm actually pretty proud of this piece. It's very accurate to what Jimin looks like and im really happy abt it ^^ .Anyway, Happity Jiminie Day. ✨🎉

~

~

~

~~~~~~~~~~

🌷Idol: #parkjimin

✨Band: #BTS

💧Jiminie Day

~~~~~

🌷Repost w/Credit

✨Materials: iPad 7th Gen, Apple Pen 1st Gen, Procreate, CapCut

💧Time Taken: 3hrs34mins

~~~~~~~~~~


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4 years ago
Ma Douce Douleur
Ma Douce Douleur
Ma Douce Douleur
Ma Douce Douleur
Ma Douce Douleur
Ma Douce Douleur

ma douce douleur 🎥🎞️

#yoonmin


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