History Music / BU

* ContinuityPorn: "Euphoria", being more of a short film than a music video, connects all previous events in the story. While it doesn't necessarily apply to all of the music videos in the universe, videos like "Blood, Sweat and Tears" and "Fake Love" are full of symbolism referencing the plot; while they can be still enjoyed on their own, sometimes you'll be lacking a lot of context to really get what's going on (besides the choreography). "Fake Love" alone makes references to the ''WINGS'' teasers, short-films like "Prologue" and the ''Highlight Reels'', ''HYYH: The Notes'', among other things.

The '''''BU''''' (vaguely named so by Big Hit Entertainment [[note]]likely meaning "BTS Universe" or "Bangtan Universe"[[/note]]; also [[FanNickname known by fans]] as the "HYYH Series") is an on-going original story comprised mainly of a series of [[ConceptVideo Concept Music Videos]] (plus video teasers[=/=]short films and additional content) in the videography of Korean group Music/{{BTS}}, created by BTS and [=BigHit=] in collaboration with Lumpens. The series includes:

* The ''화양연화'' or ''HYYH'' (''Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa'', or ''The Most Beautiful Moment in Life'') series
** ''HYYH: Part 1''
** ''HYYH: Part 2''
** ''HYYH: Young Forever''

Here, each one of the BTS members plays a fictional character both [[TheDanza named after]] and partly inspired by their real-life counterpart, with the members themselves having input in the story; the characters all were in the same school at one point, they all live in an environment where AdultsAreUseless, and each is dealing with issues and traumas of their own. While all characters get their focus, the closest thing to a protagonist is [[TheAtoner Jin]], who appears to be trying to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong and fix the series of events that led to the group's separation and to ensuing tragedy, with [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Taehyung]] being the closest thing to an antagonist or {{Deuteragonist}}, and youngest-member [[TheCutie Jungkook]] being a Tritagonist.

Also (if that "appears to be" didn't tip you off), the series is a '''complete''' MindScrew. With a serious case of {{Teasing Creator}}s, a story told in AnachronicOrder, and lots and ''lots'' of symbolism, half the fun of watching the series is [[WildMassGuessing making or following up on theories]] regarding what it's actually going on in the story; so far, [[DealWithTheDevil deals with the Devil]], TimeTravel and [[DimensionalTraveler dimension hopping]] seem to be involved. [[EpilepticTrees Maybe]].

The storyline is closely linked to the general narrative and themes present in BTS' music, which in itself contains a ComingOfAgeStory: just as the albums deal with the beauty and struggles of youth, growing up, and facing the future (''HYYH''), facing temptation and destroying the world of illusions (''WINGS'') and the idea of trying and failing to love and be loved [[BeneathTheMask while hiding the darker, truer side of oneself]] (''LOVE YOURSELF''), the characters deal with school and societal pressures, family and mental health issues, lack of self-esteem, fear of the future, [[GrowingUpSucks maturity]], [[MyGreatestFailure regret]], and so on. Some of BTS' songs also directly reference or hint at events and concepts from the story.

There's also lots of other content with additional information, clues, and {{Foreshadowing}}. This includes ''HYYH: The Notes'', [[AllThereInTheManual a collectible series of diary-like narrations]] from the point of view of each one of the characters at key moments of the story, found in the ''LOVE YOURSELF'' physical albums. Other clues for both concepts and key events have been found in other music videos and trailers, concept pictures, tour [=VCRs=], live shows and even ''commercials''. Most notably, a 2017 selfie uploaded on BTS's Twitter (of Jin holding some flowers, with "Smeraldo" as the only caption) led to the discovery of an [[https://m.blog.naver.com/PostList.nhn?blogId=testesso entire blog]] (now closed) of [[InUniverseMarketing a flower shop dedicated to selling and explaining the backstory of the Smeraldo]], a fictional flower that has an important role in the series. So yes, ''anything'' can be a clue.

On January 2019, a mysterious verified Twitter account going by the handle [[https://twitter.com/Smeraldo_Books "Smeraldo_Books"]] surfaced, tweeting short clips from past videos from the ''BU'' along with (for the most part previously released) excerpts from ''The Notes''. In January 16, it officially announced the online release of an official webtoon based on the ''BU'' story, titled ''Webcomic/SaveMe''. You can read it [[https://www.webtoons.com/en/drama/bts-save-me/list?title_no=1514 here]].

[[caption-width-right:350:The day before everything fell apart.]]

*** It should be mentioned that, even though the albums have been officially released in the US through official channels like Amazon or Wallmart, the ''Notes'' only exist in Korean - with [=BigHit=] having no stated plans to release official translations. Both the company and BTS have expressed being comfortable with fan translations of their non-music-video content, anyway.
** [=BigHit=] has also announced the release of an official book series under the name ''Smeraldo Books''. The first installment, ''花樣年華 THE NOTES 1'', will be released in March in Korean, English and Japanese, and can be preordered [[https://www.ibighit.com/goods/catalog?code=0016&utm_source=ipNotice&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=buBook&utm_content=TheNotes1&utm_term=preOrderEnJp here]].

* AnachronicOrder: There's not a completely clear order for the events seen in the videos and the ''HYYH Notes'' (though the latter and the Highlight Reels contain some key dates), adding to the MindScrew nature of the series.

** Birds flying away in the sky,

** From the ''WINGS'' teasers, an OneEyedShot of each of the members, with something reflected on it.

** UpToEleven in ''WINGS'' (''everything'' in that era), the Japanese versions of "I NEED U" and "RUN", and in "Fake Love", which all go straight into WorldOfSymbolism.

* SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong: A recurring theme. Jin is seemingly trying to fix things and avoid his friends' fates in "I NEED U" and "Prologue", possibly through TimeTravel or [[DimensionalTraveler dimension hopping]].

On January 2019, a mysterious verified Twitter account going by the handle [[https://twitter.com/Smeraldo_Books "Smeraldo_Books"]] surfaced, tweeting short clips from past videos from the ''BU'' along with (for the most part previously released) excerpts from ''The Notes''. In January 16, it officially announced the online release of an official webtoon based on the ''BU'' story, titled ''SAVE ME''. You can read it [[https://www.webtoons.com/en/drama/bts-save-me/list?title_no=1514 here]].

* ''Webcomic/SaveMe'', a webtoon based and expanding on the ''BU'' series as a whole. Can be read [[[[https://www.webtoons.com/en/drama/bts-save-me/list?title_no=1514 here]].

* ''[[https://www.webtoons.com/en/drama/bts-save-me/list?title_no=1514 SAVE ME]]'', a webtoon based and expanding on the ''BU'' series as a whole.

[[folder: Notable additional content]]

* UncannyAtmophere:

*** In Chapter 1, we see [[spoiler:Jungkook on a wheelchair at a hospital, revealing that he survived the accident in "I NEED U"]]. At the end of the chapter, we jump to a memory of Hoseok, which has 2 of these. [[spoiler:We hear the voice of a woman saying "Hoseok-ah, close your eyes", fading to a shot of a mother and a child in front of a carousel, with the mother leaving while the child covers his eyes. The next shot shows the child from a bit closer, still waiting, while a Snickers candy bar rests next to him. That's how we learn Hoseok's mother abandoned him.]]

Here, each one of the BTS members plays a fictional character both [[TheDanza named after]] and partly inspired by their real-life counterpart, with the members themselves having input in the story; the characters all were in the same school at one point, they all live in an environment where AdultsAreUseless, and each is dealing with issues and traumas of their own. While all characters get their focus, the closest thing to a protagonist is [[TheAtoner Jin]], who appears to be trying to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong and fix the series of events that led to the group's separation and to ensuing tragedy, with [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Taehyung]] being the closest thing to an antagonist or {{Deuteragonist}}.

** ''LOVE YOURSELF: Answer'' (upcoming)

* The comeback trailers (mainly "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nN8v3LJQrg The Most Beautiful Moment in Life]]", "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJJSh-eEdRk Boy Meets Evil]]", "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEMaH9Sm3lQ Serendipity]]" and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8npDG2ulKQ Singularity]]"), which contain the intro songs for each of their corresponding albums, introduce the concept and themes of the album and symbolically tie into the storyline. For "Epiphany", see the ''LOVE YOURSELF'' folder under the "explicitly part of the BU" section above.
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYAcYSmaLoc I NEED U (Japanese ver.)]]'' and ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a16gTN7kOWU RUN (Japanese ver.)]]''. Japanese versions of both songs and music videos, with original scenes and imagery (though is mostly references and gives hints of the story rather than actually advancing the plot).

** In the ''WINGS'' teasers, there are many references and flashes to previous events, including Jungkook waking up after [[spoiler:the car crash]] from "I NEED U", Taehyung's past with his abusive father, Hoseok being taken in for MunchausenSyndrome, Jin's scene in "I NEED U" being given more context ([[WorldOfSymbolism sort of]]), among others. "Stigma", oddly enough, also has a Continuity Nod to the "Danger" music video.

** In the ''WINGS'' teasers, there are many references to previous events, including Jungkook waking up after [[spoiler:the car crash]] from "I NEED U", Taehyung's past with his abusive father, Hoseok being taken in for MunchausenSyndrome, Jin's scene in "I NEED U" being given more context ([[WorldOfSymbolism sort of]]), among others. "Stigma", oddly enough, also has a Continuity Nod to the "Danger" music video.

The '''''BU''''' (vaguely named so by Big Hit Entertainment [[note]]likely meaning "BTS Universe" or "Bangtan Universe"[[/note]]; also [[FanNickname known by fans]] as the "HYYH Series") is an on-going original story comprised mainly of a series of [[ConceptVideo Concept Music Videos]] (plus video teasers[=/=]short films and additional content) in the videography of Korean group Music/{{BTS}}. The series includes:

** According to the ''HYYH Notes'' in ''Tear'', when Jimin was a child he disobeyed his teacher (who told him to stay put) and walked off alone, thus getting to the Arboretum. Judging by Jimin's strange reaction to seeing a sign pointing to the Arboretum years later (making Yoongi tell the others to change plans and go somewhere else), as well as to his fall during dancing in the Highlight Reels, it's clear that ''something'' happened.

** In the Notes, a memory is mentioned of Jungkook's stepbrother kicking him and laughing while his stepfather and other relatives ignored them and did nothing.
** Taehyung's father is physically abusive to both of his children [[AlcoholicParent while drunk]].
** [=Downplayed/implied=] for Yoongi and Jin. Yoongi's father has become incredibly strict, to the point that there is absolutely no sound in the house after a certain hour. Jin is implied to be ''very'' afraid of his father.

* RecurringCameraShot: The sea.

** Jimin burning a photo, then dropping it, with a MatchCut to falling petals over the logo.

* CerebusSyndrome: The whole series (most noticeably "I NEED U") is this for BTS' music videos, which up until 2015 (other than "Danger" and perhaps "N.O.") were completely angst-free. Even for videos that came after, expect a video containing the "BU" disclaimer to be much darker than, say, "Dope" or "Mic Drop". Note also how, despite serving as a prelude to the ''LOVE YOURSELF'' series via the "Highlight Reels", the ''BU'' (at least explicitly) does not appear at all in the videos from the ''LOVE YOURSELF: Her'' era, while in ''LOVE YOURSELF: Tear'' it takes front-and-center and the "Epiphany" comeback trailer for ''LOVE YOURSELF: Answer'' directly references it.

* AmbiguousSituation: Played very, very straight. Many key events - along with their context and place on the timeline(s?) of the story - are rather open to interpretation. It's an unusual example where the themes of the story are actually clearer than the basic plot.

* MindScrew: The series relies heavily on symbolism and a lot of key elements are implied, to the point that many [[EpilepticTrees fan theories]] center around trying to figure out what in the world is going ''on''. Each new piece of information just creates more questions.

* FirstEpisodeSpoiler: You can't really talk about anything in the series without directly or indirectly referencing the events from "I NEED U (Original version)", such as [[spoiler: Jungkook getting into a car accident, Yoongi's death via fire, and Taehyung murdering his abusive father]].

!!The videos and content that are ''explicitly'' part of the series - and therefore are a ''must''-watch in order to understand the story - are (in order):

* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gWIjRqvtnI I NEED U (Original version)]]''. Music video. The very first one. Make sure to watch the original, uncensored version in the link, as the normal, shorter version cuts a lot of key information due to violent/possibly triggering scenes.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[FormerFriendsPhoto The day before everything fell apart.]]]]

* FormerFriendsPhoto: The Polaroid pictures of the trip to the sea, particularly the one with all seven boys together in the truck (see the page image), are recurring elements in the series.

** There was an incident where a teacher walked into the group's meeting place, a classroom where Jungkook and Yoongi were in at the moment, leading to the teacher hitting Jungkook, Yoongi defending the younger and hitting the teacher back. [[spoiler:Both Jin (who pointed the teacher to the room thinking there wasn't anyone there) and Jungkook blame themselves for Yoongi getting expelled from the school as a result]].
** Yoongi seems to feel ''very'' guilty over Jungkook's car accident, to the point that he can't even see him when he gets to the hospital and [[NotSoStoic uncharacteristically]] ends up in tears. He seems to want to avoid being relied on, as he thinks he'll only get others hurt, which might have to do with how his mother died.

-> ''[[BreakingTheFellowship "After returning from the sea, we were all alone]]."''

-> ''[[BreakingTheFellowship After returning from the sea, we were all alone]].''