History Music / BU

%% NOTE: There's a lot of stuff that needs to be added, but also admittedly a lot that might have to be deleted due to not being confirmed information. Please be careful to check that the series provides actual, confirmed examples for the tropes you add.

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%%[[caption-width-right:350:The day before everything fell apart.]]
-> ''[[BreakingTheFellowship "After returning from the sea, we were all alone."]]''
-->-- '''Jin, ''The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: The Notes'''''

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

The series officially started with the ''화양연화'' (''Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa'', or ''The Most Beautiful Moment in Life'') album series, continuing through ''WINGS'' and the ''LOVE YOURSELF'' series, and is currently still on-going. Not ''all'' of the music videos they have released since the start of the series are part of the BU - the ones that unquestionably ''are'' have a "BU belongs to..." disclaimer in the Youtube video description. But even then, it's not impossible that they're still connected somehow... even videos that came ''before'' the series officially began.

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: in an environment where AdultsAreUseless, seven boys of various ages found company in each other at school for a year. Years later, oldest member [[TheAtoner Jin]] tries to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong and fix the series of events that led to tragedy after the group's separation.

The storyline is closely linked to the general narrative and themes present in BTS' music, which in itself contains a ComingOfAgeStory: themes such as the beauty and struggles of youth (''Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa''), facing temptation and inner conflict (''WINGS'') and the idea of trying and failing to love and be loved [[StepfordSmiler while hiding under a mask]] (''LOVE YOURSELF'') translate into the characters dealing with school and societal pressures, poverty, family and mental health issues, fear of the future, [[GrowingUpSucks maturity]], [[MyGreatestFailure regret]], and so on. A select few BTS' songs even directly reference or hint at events and concepts from the story.

Also, 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. [[spoiler:As it turns out, two of these are actually confirmed.]]

Another point of note of the BU is its multi-media format. Along with the music videos, there's lots of complementary content with additional information, clues, and {{Foreshadowing}}, with all of them working as pieces of a larger puzzle. This includes ''Webcomic/SaveMe'', a {{Korean webtoon|s}} that tells the main conflict in a linear structure (working as the series' MindScrewdriver and an alternative entry to the series for newcomers), and ''Literature/TheMostBeautifulMomentInLifeTheNotes'', [[AllThereInTheManual a series of diary-like narrations]] from the point of view of each one of the characters at various key moments of the story, originally found in the ''LOVE YOURSELF'' physical albums and later released as a novel.

Other clues for both concepts and key events have been found in other music videos, trailers, concept pictures, tour [=VCRs=], live shows, and even commercials and ''selfies'' [[note]]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[[/note]]. So yes, ''anything'' can be a clue.

In August, 2019, during [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGI3yYhzDfc the first Big Hit Corporate Briefing with the Community]], Bang Si-hyuk announced plans to keep expanding the BTS Universe as a trans-media story, including the future release of a KoreanDrama series about the boys' first meeting (with the members being portrayed by professional actors) to be released in 2020, and a mobile game developed with Netmarble (also responsible for the game ''BTS World''), the latter of which will feature live-action scenes with acting from the members as well as 3D animation (with an "Official Art Concept Teaser" [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UoYX39PSDE you can watch here]]).

'''WARNING''': While not particularly graphic, this series deals with some heavy themes and violent/possibly triggering content, including murder, mental illness, suicide and physical/emotional abuse by parents and figures of authority. The first video of the series has a censored version for a reason, y'know.

----
!!The videos and content that are ''explicitly'' part of the series - and are essential to understand the story - are (in order of release):

[[folder: ''The Most Beautiful Moment in Life'' series]]
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjskoRh8GTE I NEED U (Original version)]]''. Music video. The very first one, and key for everything else. Make sure to watch the original, uncensored version in the link, as the normal, shorter version lacks a lot of key information due to cutting violent scenes.
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt8648TNX1M 화양연화 on stage : prologue]]''. Short film.
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKysONrSmew RUN]]''. Music video.
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbvE0FV_70U Epilogue: Young Forever]]''. Music video.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: ''WINGS'']]
* ''WINGS'' teasers: a series of teasers[=/=]short films for each of the solo songs of the then upcoming ''WINGS'' album, and therefore for each of the seven [=members/characters=]. These are:
** 1. ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR73I0z5ms0 Begin]]'' (Jungkook)
** 2. ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y8-HD5O69g Lie]]'' (Jimin)
** 3. ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i34dFsjRY4 Stigma]]'' ([=V/Taehyung=])
** 4. ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VPcnJ9oJ-k First Love]]'' ([=Suga/Yoongi=])
** 5. ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzxjM-82RW8 Reflection]]'' ([=RM/Namjoon=])
** 6. ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu82g0vyyTY Mama]]'' ([=J-Hope/Hoseok=])
** 7. ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYbrLlVelYk&t=11s Awake]]'' (Jin)
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmE9f-TEutc Blood, Sweat and Tears]]''. Music video.
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuntXwPvvaE 2017 BTS LIVE TRILOGY EPISODE III THE WINGS TOUR Trailer]]''. Trailer for the ''WINGS'' Tour.
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OX7dIRReSA Blood, Sweat and Tears (Japanese ver.)]]''. ''Very'' different music video for the Japanese version of the song, with original scenes and imagery.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:''LOVE YOURSELF'' series]]
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHdK5U2hf4o LOVE YOURSELF Highlight Reels]]''. A series of short films originally released in 4 parts (''起'', ''承'', ''轉'', and ''起承轉結''), with the 4th - in the link - also compiling all parts into one 13-minute video.
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX0vO4vlJuU Euphoria : Theme of LOVE YOURSELF 起 Wonder]]''. Short film ''and'' music video for "Euphoria".
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP71K87Hp5Y 'FAKE LOVE' Official Teaser 1]]''. Contains a key scene [[MissingTrailerScene not present in the following music video]], which is...
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C2z4GqqS5E FAKE LOVE]]''. Music video. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_6QmL6rExk extended version]] has additional scenes.
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIkZOLsnoqY LOVE YOURSELF 結 Answer 'Epiphany' Comeback Trailer]]''. Comeback trailer/music video for "Epiphany", Jin's solo song.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Other (essential) media]]
* ''Literature/TheMostBeautifulMomentInLifeTheNotes'': A novel with diary-entry-style narrations from each one of the seven main characters at different points of the story (starting from their childhoods), [[AllThereInTheManual revealing key plot points as well as backstory]]. Available in Korean, English, Japanese and (through pre-order) Spanish through the Weply app.
** Some of these ''Notes'' were originally released in non-chronological order as booklets from the physical albums of the ''LOVE YOURSELF'' series. Each version of the albums[[note]]L, O, V and E, for ''Her''; Y, O, U and R for ''Tear''; S, E, L, F for ''Answer''[[/note]] contains a different set of ''Notes'', making all versions complementary to each other. [=BigHit=] has published one of the ''Notes'' from each album in the series on Twitter and Instagram weeks before said album's official release, one in ''[[https://twitter.com/bighitent/status/896748183765753856?lang=en LOVE YOURSELF: Her]]'' (Jin, published on August 14th, 2017, Korean time), one in ''[[https://twitter.com/bighitent/status/992056198139559936?lang=en LOVE YOURSELF: Tear]]'' (Jungkook, published in May 4rd, 2018), and one in ''[[https://twitter.com/BigHitEnt/status/1026483068683444224 LOVE YOURSELF: Answer]]'' (Jin, published in August 7th, 2018).
%%** Fan translations in English for ''The Notes'' from the album booklets) can be found in:
%%*** [[https://www.dropbox.com/sh/tccz96h2tewejj0/AABkwUNCtJEcmFqj0ATXoEZWa?dl=0 This Dropbox folder]] by Twitter user @papercrowns (both translations and compilation), complete for all 3 albums and organized in folders by member and by date.
%%*** A [[https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SOISDkmaNqj9Ad3RzWhmJT6lTw3aY4ih PDF document]] made by Twitter user @MNYGIGLOSS with translations by user @doyou_bangtan, containing translations with links to official videos pertinent to each entry. Currently only containing the Notes for ''LOVE YOURSELF: Tear''.
* ''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]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Notable non-essential content]]
* The albums themselves contain elements that tie lyrically or conceptually into the story; most notably, the title songs, the Intros and Outros, the solos in ''WINGS'', and the song "The Truth Untold", which references the story of the Smeraldo, found in the flower shop website.
* Non-essential music videos:
** The "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bagj78IQ3l0 Danger]]" music video. It's mostly lacking in plot other than the members angsting by themselves, but it {{Foreshadow|ing}}s some themes of the series - and even gets a CallBack (and possible ContinuityNod) in a couple of videos.
** ''[[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 it mostly references and gives hints of the story rather than actually advancing the plot).
** The comeback trailers (mainly "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nN8v3LJQrg The Most Beautiful Moment in Life]]" for the album ''HYYH pt. 1'', "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJJSh-eEdRk Boy Meets Evil]]" for ''WINGS'', "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEMaH9Sm3lQ Serendipity]]" for ''LOVE YOURSELF: Her'' and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8npDG2ulKQ Singularity]]" for ''LOVE YOURSELF: Tear''), which contain the intro songs for each of their corresponding albums, introduce the album's concept and themes and symbolically (rather than narratively) tie into the storyline. For "Euphoria" and "Epiphany", see the ''LOVE YOURSELF'' folder under the "explicitly part of the BU" section above.

[[/folder]]
----
!! This series as a whole provides examples of:
* AdultsAreUseless: The boys don't live exactly in the best environment, with all the adults (both parents and teachers) being either negligent, abusive, or absent.
* 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 [[ComingOfAgeStory the themes]] [[GrowingUpSucks of the story]] are actually clearer than the basic plot.
* 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. [[spoiler:Some of the events in ''The Notes'' are also sometimes contradictory, because they happened in [[TimeTravel different timelines]].]]
** Also in a meta sense; the first chapter of the ''LOVE YOURSELF'' series (''Wonder'') only seems to consist in "Euphoria", which was released months ''after'' ''LOVE YOURSELF: Her'' (the second chapter in the series), and a month before ''Tear'' (the third chapter).
** Finally Averted in ''Webcomic/SaveMe'', which re-tells the story in a linear structure.
* ArcWords: "You need to survive."
** To a lesser extent, a special font of "I'm fine", which, when read upside-down, gives "save me".
* BreakingTheFellowship: After the trip to the sea, they all went on separate ways.
* 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 ''[[LighterAndSofter LOVE YOURSELF: Her]]'' era, while in ''[[DarkerAndEdgier LOVE YOURSELF: Tear]]'' it takes front-and-center and the "Epiphany" comeback trailer for ''LOVE YOURSELF: Answer'' directly references it.
* ComingOfAgeStory: Much like the narrative of BTS' albums, the story of the ''BU'' has the boys facing various difficulties as young men in their tumultuous path to adulthood.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Than the rest of BTS' music videos, as well as Korean music videos in general. See CerebusSyndrome above.
* DealWithTheDevil: A recurring theme (along with SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong), seen especially in ''WINGS'', though what the deal consists of is not explicitly stated.
* 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]].
** ''Webcomic/SaveMe'' has one of its own (with events that partly overlap with "I NEED U"), with [[spoiler:Jungkook and Yoongi dying, Taehyung killing his father and Jin being granted the chance to fix everything through time travel]] on its first chapter.
* FormerFriendsPhoto: A non-enemy variant; 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.
* FriendsAreChosenFamilyArent: None of the boys have a family situation that is even close to ideal. The only time we truly see them happy is when they're together.
* GrowingUpSucks
* LonelyTogether
* LyricsVideoMismatch: The music videos in this series rarely are directly about the topic of the songs, though they do connect thematically and emotionally while sticking to the ''BU'' story of the seven boys:
** "I NEED U" is about a relationship with a girl falling apart, jumping back and forth between love and hate for her, while the video shows scenes of the boys suffering alone intercut with scenes of them happy together.
** "RUN" is about a DestructiveRomance where the singer can't fall out of love even though the relationship is doomed or already ending. In the video, we see the characters physically jumping back and forth between their moments of happiness and the present, seemingly losing sense of reality, while also getting scenes leading to the group's separation, such as Jungkook and Yoongi's fight (though [[HoYay/{{BU}} it's ambigous whether it's actually this trope in this case]]).
** "Blood, Sweat and Tears" is about being tempted by an "evil", forbidden kind of love, with a heavily sexual connotation. In the video, while the choreography completely fits the song, the individual scenes of the characters show them indulging in other, highly symbolic variations of temptation, or in symbolic representations of their inner conflict.
** "FAKE LOVE" is about a relationship that comes to a messy end because the singer can't stand hiding their true self to the other anymore. In the video, Jungkook goes through hallways in a mansion where each room has one of the other boys locked in, forced to face their fears and traumas.
* MindScrew: The series relies heavily on symbolism and a lot of key elements are ambiguous, 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.
* MindScrewdriver: ''The Notes'' and especially ''Webcomic/SaveMe'' work as this, providing narration and dates in the former, and a linear structure and proper dialogue and exposition in the latter.
* RecurringCameraShot:
** The sea.
** The boys in the truck (the image above).
** Birds flying away in the sky.
** Jin opening the curtains and looking out of the window. [[spoiler:As confirmed by ''SAVE ME'', it's him waking up after going back in time.]]
** From ''The Most Beautiful Moment in Life'', Jimin burning a photo, then dropping it, with a MatchCut to falling petals over the logo.
** From the ''WINGS'' teasers, a OneEyedShot of each of the members, with something reflected on it.
* RuleOfSymbolism: A recurring trope. Many events, like in Prologue, the Highlight Reels or Euphoria, are not ''quite'' logical or comprehensible, drawing many interpretations. Anything can mean something else and even give clues to plot points revealed later, including details in sets.
** UpToEleven in the Japanese versions of "I NEED U" and "RUN", ''everything'' in ''WINGS'', and in "Fake Love" (including its teaser and extended version), which all go straight into WorldOfSymbolism.
** The Smeraldo flower also deserves special mention as a recurring symbol. It's a fictional flower that appears frequently in the ''LOVE YOURSELF'' series and it's said to symbolize "the truth untold" (though it might have more meanings).
* SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong: A recurring theme. Jin is trying to fix things and avoid his friends' fates in "I NEED U" - as revealed in later videos, [[spoiler:through TimeTravel]].
* ThereAreNoTherapists: All of the characters seem to be suffering from depression, neglect, or some sort of trauma. They only have each other until they separate.
* AWorldHalfFull: There's poverty, abuse and tragedy all around, but not without moments of sheer beauty in between.

----
!! Specific portions of the series provide examples of:
* AdultFear:
** A bunch of teenagers hanging out alone at night in streets and abandoned train tracks, [[FreeRangeChildren driving off to the beach]]...
** Jungkook, the youngest of the group, wanders alone at night, receiving a beating from some strangers, and [[spoiler:gets into a car accident]].
** As seen in the "Highlight Reels", Hoseok [[spoiler:was abandoned by his mother in plain daylight, left alone with merely a candy bar, therefore being taken into an orphanage]].
** 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 that traumatized him to this day.
* AbusiveParents
** In the Notes, a memory is mentioned of Jungkook's stepbrother kicking him and laughing while his stepfather and other relatives ignore them and do nothing.
** Taehyung's father is physically abusive to both of his children [[AlcoholicParent while drunk]]. ''The Notes'' mention Taehyung having scars all over his back, which his friends have noticed.
** [=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 shown to be ''very'' afraid of his father.
** See ParentalAbandonment below.
* AsideGlance: Non-comedic example. "Euphoria" [[spoiler:has the members slowly and simultaneously turning towards the camera at one point, to eerie effect.]]
* CallBack: In the "Reflection" ''WINGS'' teaser, Namjoon is seen tattooing his own arm in a similar manner to when he did it in the "Danger" music video.
** "Euphoria" is this to "Prologue" in many ways, down to repeating some of the same shots and places (most notably, [[spoiler:Namjoon picking up Taehyung and Jin standing at the top of the watchtower]]). This is because [[spoiler:"Euphoria" appears to be a "better timeline" version of the events in "Prologue" and "I NEED U"]].
** In "Epiphany", Jin appears changing clothes in a similar manner to the ''Highlight Reels'', leaving with a diary and a formal suit. He also closes the curtains of his window; he previously appeared opening them in several videos ("I NEED U", "Awake", "Euphoria") with the exception of "Fake Love", where he also closed them.
* ChangedForTheVideo: "I Need U"'s Original version added in extra instrumentals and made the chorus in some parts longer to compliment the storyline of the video.
** "Blood, Sweat and Tears"'s video has a pause right after the bridge, adding in Namjoon's narration of a passage of ''Demian'', followed by Yoongi playing "Passacaglia in D minor" by Buxtehude in an organ. Then it goes back to the rest of the song.
** "Fake Love" also has a pause, leading to the scene of Jungkook entering the room with the cascade, adding instrumentals. Then it adds a portion not present in the actual song (sort of a pre-chorus to the pre-chorus), before going back to the pre-chorus.
* CherryBlossoms: The shot of Jimin dropping a burning photo in "I Need U" and "Run" has a MatchCut to cherry blossoms falling over the ''The Most Beautiful Moment in Life'' logo.
* ChildishPillowFight: The boys appear participating in this in "Run".
* ColorWash: In the second chorus of "Blood, Sweat and Tears", and especially after the climax, the some shots suddenly gain very high contrast and shift palette into a very bright pink.
** The Japanese version of "Blood, Sweat and Tears" goes ''hard'' on this, with the palette shifting through post-production between very bright colors such as green, pink, blue, red, among others.
* ComfortingComforter: In "Prologue", while the boys are in the gas station, Hoseok sees Jimin has fallen asleep on the back of the truck, so he carefully puts a blanket over him.
* ContinuityNod: Many.
** "Prologue" starts off with Taehyung [[spoiler:with his hands covered in blood after killing his father]] in "I NEED U".
** The pictures taken with the polaroid in "Prologue" (especially this page image) appear several times:
*** In "RUN", most notably at TheStinger, where Jimin burns the picture with everyone in the truck, which is also a CallBack to "I NEED U".
*** "Epilogue: Young Forever" is themed after the pictures and recordings.
*** The camera appears in the "Awake" teaser.
*** Jin is revealed to have a picture in his car in the Highlight Reels.
** The Japanese versions of "I NEED U" and "RUN" are part-choreography videos and part-{{Continuity Nod}}s to previous videos.
** 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 contains a flashback to the "Danger" music video.
** "Blood, Sweat and Tears" (Japanese version) references both the Korean version (in a much more realistic context) and every single previous video, possibly being the clearest a music video has been about the story.
** In the "Highlight Reels", Taehyung has a {{Flashback}} to the when Namjoon helps him stand up in "Prologue". The scene is also mirrored in "Euphoria", but in a happier context.
** "Euphoria" itself is a ContinuityPorn short film, with many scenes in "I NEED U" and "Prologue" altered to give a happier outcome.
** "Fake Love" and its teaser are absolutely full of these, connecting the ''HYYH'' videos, ''WINGS'', the Highlight Reels, the ''HYYH Notes'' and the WINGS Tour [=VCRs=]. Notably, the teaser features the members exchanging objects seen in the ''WINGS'' teasers with objects seen in the Highlight Reels.
* ContinuityPorn:
** 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" and its teaser alone makes references to the ''WINGS'' teasers, short-films like "Prologue" and the ''Highlight Reels'', and ''HYYH: The Notes'', among other things.
** "Euphoria", being more of a short film than a music video, connects all previous events in the story.
* CoolDownHug: In "RUN", Jungkook attempted this when Yoongi started drunkenly trashing the room. When it didn't work (only getting pushed to the floor), Jungkook tried [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan punching him instead]]. It didn't work, either.
* DealWithTheDevil:
** The climax of "Blood, Sweat and Tears", where Jin [[spoiler:kisses a dark-winged statue representing Taehyung]], has undertones of this, especially as the song and the ''WINGS'' album themselves talk about facing evil and its temptation.
*** ''Webcomic/SaveMe'' reveals on the first chapter [[spoiler:that Jin was given a chance by a mysterious entity to save his friends from their tragic fates, gaining the ability of TimeTravel]].
** The first one of the ''HYYH'' Notes from ''Tear'', released on Twitter in 2018, reveals that [[spoiler:Jungkook seemingly made a deal with a mysterious figure to stay alive after the car crash, even if this meant life would be more painful than death from there on]].
* DiabolusExMachina: The third part of the ''Highlight Reels'' ends with [[spoiler:Seokjin]] meeting with a girl for a date [[spoiler:only for a car to suddenly appear and fatally hit her while she's running towards him]].
* DictionaryOpening: The first "FAKE LOVE" teaser begins with a definition: "'Magic Shop' is a psychodramatic technique that exchanges fear for a positive attitude".
* DrivenToSuicide:
** [[spoiler:Taehyung jumps off a watchtower to the sea]] in "Prologue", and describes his suicidal thoughts in the ''HYYH Notes'' in ''Tear''.
** In "I NEED U", [[spoiler:Yoongi sets himself on fire; Hoseok overdoses on pills and Jimin seemingly attempts to drown himself in the bathtub, but whether the latter two were actual suicide attempts is unclear]].
** According to the ''HYYH Notes'', Jungkook gets to a point that he thinks no one would miss him, so he almost throws himself off a building; it's also revealed he got purposefully beaten up in "I NEED U" days before. Right before getting hit by a car in the same video, Jungkook is seen simply staring at the incoming vehicle, unmoving.
* {{Flashback}}: Both "I NEED U" and "RUN" go back and forth between the boys being happy together in the past and the boys suffering alone in the present. In the case of "RUN", it also shows moments leading to their falling out, such as Yoongi and Jungkook's fight.
** The ''Highlight Reels'' feature one to [[spoiler: Hoseok's mother abandoning him in the middle of an amusement park]]. Also counts as a TroubledBackstoryFlashback.
** ''HYYH: The Notes'' go back and forth between the boys' years in high school (years 19 and 20), the time after their separation (years 21 and 22), and each of the boys' pasts (years 7, 10, 14, etc.).
* FlashbackCut: The "Stigma" teaser features several quick flashbacks to Taehyung's past with his father, including arguments, Tae trying to console his (bloodied) sister with his father still there, and the scene in "Danger" where he cuts his bangs.
* FlashSideways: Aside from [[spoiler:Seokjin]], other characters don't seem to be aware of what's happening. However, certain characters [[spoiler:(Taehyung and Jungkook]]) have had a-bit-too-real dreams about events we see in alternate realities/timelines [[spoiler:(Yoongi dying by SelfImmolation, Jungkook getting into a car accident, Namjoon "getting into a fight"]].
* {{Foreshadowing}}: In ''WINGS'', Hoseok is linked to imagery related to motherhood, including the Piéta and the Eva painting. In the Highlight Reels, it's revealed that [[spoiler:his mother abandoned him as a child, giving him abandonment issues]].
** In both versions of "Blood, Sweat and Tears", Jimin appears with Yoongi, Namjoon with Jungkook (the former giving the latter a glass of what seems to be absinthe), and Hoseok with Taehyung (the former attacking the latter with an arrow/dart). In the ''HYYH Notes'' from ''LOVE YOURSELF: Tear'', all of these pairings gain importance. [[spoiler:Yoongi appears seemingly helping Jimin confront his fear, Jungkook is revealed to spend time with Namjoon so the younger can learn to be a real adult, and Hoseok stops Taehyung from killing his father, which is also shown in ''Euphoria'']].
* FormerFriendsPhoto: Both Jimin and Jin are seen with one. Jimin burns his.
* GenerationXerox: As the first ''Note'' released from ''LOVE YOURSELF: Answer'' reveals, [[spoiler:Jin's father went through the exact same situation as Jin when he was his son's age. Jin even finds out about this in a book with notes hidden in a cabinet in the main cast's secret room]].
* GutPunch: "I NEED U (Original ver.)". At first it just seems like a slightly DarkerAndEdgier version of "Danger"(especially if you've only watched "I NEED U"'s short version). The second chorus comes in, however, and [[spoiler:[[TheCutie Jungkook]] gets beaten up by strangers and Hoseok passes out from narcolepsy in a street full of ApatheticCitizens. Then, after the bridge, Taehyung stabs his abusive father to death and Yoongi dumps gasoline all over his room, setting it on fire and letting it burn everything, [[DrivenToSuicide himself included]]]]. It firmly establishes the tone for the series, as well as BTS' work from that point onwards.
* HappierHomeMovie: We never see him watching them, but Jin is shown almost ''constantly'' recording everything (if not taking photos) during their trip to the beach in "Prologue", precisely up until the moment where things really go awry.
* InTheBlood: As revealed in the ''Notes'', Taehyung fears that this is the case for his father's violent urges.
* ItsAllMyFault
** Both Namjoon and Jin are implied to blame themselves for Taehyung's fate.
** ''The Notes'' describe 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:Jungkook blames himself for Yoongi getting expelled from the school as a result]]. And, as revealed on ''The Notes'' from ''Tear'', [[spoiler:so does Jin; under threats from the principal, he gave the teacher directions to the hideout thinking there wasn't anyone there at the moment).]]
** Yoongi seems to feel ''very'' guilty over Jungkook's car accident, to the point that he can't even look at him when [[spoiler:he gets to Jungkook's hospital room]], [[NotSoStoic uncharacteristically]] ending up in tears. He seems to want to avoid being relied on; he believes he'll only get others hurt, which might have to do with how his mother died.
* JumpScare: The "Lie" teaser, where [[spoiler:a beautiful (if strange) image of Jimin standing on water suddenly cuts to different, overlapping takes of a shot of Jimin sitting (looking like Jimin has several heads), all set to distorted noise]].
** The end of "Fake Love (extended version)" has a small one where, [[spoiler:after Jungkook joins the others and puts on a mask, a giant wall is seen falling abruptly in front of them, which could either be them being encased by a giant box, or them being ''crushed'' by a solid block.]]
* LotusEaterMachine: It's unclear if "Epilogue: Young Forever" - where the group happily reunites after getting out from individual mazes - is real, merely symbolic, an ImagineSpot, or this trope. Same goes for "Euphoria": [[spoiler: while Jin seems to have been able to prevent tragedy, both the song lyrics and the video hint at the happiness being temporary or merely an illusion]]; TheReveal in the ''Notes'' for ''LOVE YOURSELF: Answer'' also brings the possibility of [[spoiler:"Euphoria" actually representing Jin's father and his friends in the past]].
* MatchCut: The burning photo that Jimin drops in "I NEED U" (and its CallBack in "RUN") turns into falling petals in the next shot, leading to the logo of the series.
** The shot of Taehyung falling backwards into water is matched with a shot of Namjoon dropping candy on his coffee in "RUN". In the ''Highlight Reels'', [[spoiler:a reverse version of Taehyung's fall in "RUN" is matched with a shot of a flower vase falling and getting caught by Jin]].
** This is combined with continuous camera movement in "Lie", with Jimin falling backwards into a bathtub filled with water transitioning to Jimin waking up on a hospital bed.
* MissingMom: Yoongi's mother [[spoiler: died in a fire]]. Taehyung's seems to be dead or missing. Hoseok's [[spoiler:abandoned him when he was a child]].
* OminousPipeOrgan: In the interlude of "Blood, Sweat and Tears", Yoongi appears playing "Passacaglia in D minor" by Buxtehude on a huge pipe organ, leading to the scene of Taehyung covering Jin's eyes, only stopping in the climax with the statue.
* OneEyedShot: A RecurringCameraShot in the ''WINGS'' teasers is that of the protagonist of the teaser's eye with another recurring element (the burning piano, the walls with graffiti) reflected/superimposed on it.
* ParentalAbandonment: It's revealed in the Highlight Reels that Hoseok was abandoned by his mother as a child, left alone in the middle of an amusement park with only a candy bar left. He's been deeply traumatized since.
* TheReveal: In the ''Highlight Reels'', it's revealed that [[spoiler:Hoseok was abandoned by his mother as a child]]. Also, Jin [[spoiler:might be a time traveler]].
** The ''HYYH Notes'' in ''Tear'' reveal that [[spoiler:Yoongi's mother died in a fire, that Jimin has a trauma due to an incident in a Flower Arboretum, that Jin got Yoongi expelled by accident (and that Namjoon knows and, unbeknownst to the other two, so does Taehyung), and that Jungkook lived with Namjoon for a while]]. But most importantly, the ''Note'' that was also released by [=BigHit=] before the release of ''Tear'' revealed that [[spoiler:right after Jungkook's car accident, he made a [[DealWithTheDevil deal with a mysterious figure]] in order to stay alive]].
** The first ''Note'' released by [=BigHit=] for ''LOVE YOURSELF: Answer'' has Jin find out that [[spoiler:his father was on the ''exact'' same situation as him: he not only had his group of friends, but he made similar mistakes and despaired tried to fix them. Jin's father, however, eventually gave up and forgot, betraying his friends]].
* RippleEffectProofMemory: [[spoiler:Jin knows that he's repeatedly returning to the past, and seems to be the only one really aware of what's happening; that said, he might actually be starting to lose memory from the repeated travels]].
* SadistTeacher: None of the teachers and school authorities who have appeared in the series seem particularly pleasant, but the one that barged into the secret room, [[spoiler:hit and berated Jungkook (making Yoongi step up in the boy's defense), and later kept hitting Jungkook for hanging out with the others]], deserves special mention.
* ScareChord: The JumpScare in the "Lie" teaser is set to sudden distorted noise.
* SceneryPorn:
** "Prologue" has gorgeous shots of the beach as the sun rises, with the melancholic background music - "Butterfly (Prologue version)" - only making it stand out more. See the page image.
*** To a lesser extent, "Euphoria", where the beach again features prominently.
** The cinematography and color correction in the "Highlight Reels" makes the city look absolutely beautiful and dream-like.
* SecondPersonAttack: In the Japanese version of "Blood, Sweat and Tears", [[spoiler:we see Tae attacking the camera with a knife... said camera being from the point of view of Jin]].
* SelfImmolation: [[spoiler: Yoongi]] is seen dumping gasoline and setting the room (and himself) on fire in "I NEED U".
* SelfMadeOrphan: [[spoiler:Taehyung]] fatally stabs his father with a bottle to defend his sister in "I NEED U".
* TheStinger:
** After the credits of "Prologue" (in the version that got deleted before Big Hit posted the final one), Jin looks at the photo he took with Yoongi at the gas station... [[spoiler: and sees Yoongi has disappeared (or rather, been ''burned off'') from the picture]].
** At the end of the uplifting "Euphoria" video, [[spoiler: an ominous text appears, followed by a flashback to Jungkook's accident in "I NEED U"]]
---> [[spoiler: ''Is that all, hyung? Aren't you hiding anything else from us?'']]
* TimeTravel: It's implied in the Highlight Reels that [[spoiler:Jin is capable of this]]. Some characters even mention having a feeling of DejaVu in ''HYYH: The Notes''. [[spoiler:Confirmed in the ''Notes'' for ''LOVE YOURSELF: Answer'']].
* TroubledBackstoryFlashback: The first part of the ''Highlight Reels'' has one for Hoseok, revealing that he was [[spoiler:abandoned by his mother in an amusement park in a very young age]].
** ''The Notes'' have some for several characters from when they were younger, including Yoongi [[spoiler:managing to escape a fire, but his mother not having such luck]], Jimin [[spoiler:getting separated from his teacher and wandering to the Arboretum as a child]], Hoseok [[spoiler:having to count to ten in class and fainting because of his trauma (only a few years after the incident seen in the ''Highlight Reels'' above)]], and Taehyung [[spoiler:as a kid seeing his father drunk and getting hit by him]].
* UncannyAtmosphere:
** The ''WINGS'' teasers are just ''eerie''.
** Towards the end, "Euphoria" gives off an ominously unreal, too-good-to-be-true kind of feeling, with the boys all dressed in pure white, laughing together... only for ''all'' of them to make a slow, simultaneous AsideGlance. Adding to this is [[spoiler:Taehyung's odd reaction to Jin climbing the watchtower, which could imply [[OnlySaneMan he's the only one aware that something's off]].]]
* WhamShot:
** "Blood, Sweat and Tears" has two.
*** While Jin leans in to kiss the statue, it cuts to a shot of a veil being lifted over a hunched figure with the back towards the viewer; as the camera gets closer, we see that it's Taehyung with scars were wings would be, revealing him to be the figure the statue represents.
*** At the very end, after everything breaks and falls apart, there's a final shot of Jin sitting in front of a mirror, looking at some flowers on a vase and then towards his reflection... and seeing his face starting to crack, like a statue.
** The ''Highlight Reels'' have a few:
*** In Chapter 1, we see a train passing by, revealing a girl waiting across from Jin, and also the first important character who is not related to the main cast. We also 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.]]
*** In chapter 3, we get several. [[spoiler:The sink where Jimin is desperately washing his hands is starting to fill with ''blood'', Taehyung gets arrested, and Jungkook arrives to an empty hospital bed.]]
*** Chapter 4 shows several flashbacks in reverse, ending with [[spoiler:Jin appearing back on his room from before (with a text showing the date, even), taking off the sweater he was trying on to reveal an absolutely exhausted and sad expression, putting on a casual cap instead. This reveals Jin's ability to go back in time.]]
** The end of "Fake Love (extended version)" has Jungkook join the members while wearing a mask and a black tunic, with the camera slowly pulling away from the group, [[spoiler:and then a huge block descends from above, appearing to either lock from view or ''crush'' the boys.]]
* WhatDoTheyFearEpisode: "Fake Love", where everyone (except Jungkook) is locked in a room facing their fears: Jin appears trying and failing to protect a Smeraldo flower, Yoongi is trapped in a burned room with a piano (which could very well be [[spoiler:his mother's room]]), Hoseok is trapped among amusement park game pieces and later a sea of Snickers bars [[spoiler:(all part of his memory of his mother abandoning him]], Namjoon is surrounded by mirrors and can't recognize himself in them, Jimin is stuck inside a bathroom that gets inundated, and Taehyung is surrounded by phones receiving calls that he can't answer. Even Jungkook, who has to run around watching his friends struggling in said rooms, is facing his own fear: watching his hyungs suffer.
* YankTheDogsChain: Oh, ''Jin''. Accidentally getting [[spoiler:your friend expelled from school]] when you were trying to avoid it and seeing your group of friends fall apart because of it is one thing. Meeting a girl and going to great lengths to prepare a perfect date - including buying a specific species of flower from the one flower shop that sells it - to make ''someone'' happy and reassure yourself that you are a good person, only for [[spoiler:[[DiabolusExMachina a car to appear out of nowhere]] and kill her while she's crossing the street to meet you, right before your eyes]]? Sucks to be you, to say the least.

----

In August, 2019, during [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGI3yYhzDfc the first Big Hit Corporate Briefing with the Community]], Bang Si-hyuk announced plans to keep expanding the BTS Universe as a trans-media story, including the future release of a KoreanDrama series about the boys' first meeting (with the members being portrayed by professional actors) and a mobile game developed with Netmarble (also responsible for the game ''BTS World''), the latter of which will feature live-action scenes with acting from the members as well as 3D animation ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UoYX39PSDE with an official Art Concept Teaser you can watch here]]).

* ''Literature/TheMostBeautifulMomentInLifeTheNotes'': A novel with diary-entry-style narrations from each one of the seven main characters at different points of the story (starting from their childhoods), [[AllThereInTheManual revealing key plot points as well as backstory]].

The '''''BU''''' [[note]]vaguely named so by Big Hit Entertainment[[/note]] (also known by fans as the "BTS Universe", "Bangtan Universe" or the "HYYH Series") is an on-going original story comprised mainly of a series of [[ConceptVideo Concept Music Videos]] of Korean group Music/{{BTS}} (plus video teasers[=/=]short films and additional content in other media), 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'' and ''HYYH: Young Forever'')
* ''WINGS''
* The ''LOVE YOURSELF'' series.
** ''LOVE YOURSELF: Wonder'' [[note]]Not an actual album, despite being the first "chapter". The only content released for ''Wonder'' is the video for "Euphoria"... which was released ''[[AnachronicOrder after]]'' ''LOVE YOURSELF: Her''.[[/note]]
** ''LOVE YOURSELF: Her''
** ''LOVE YOURSELF: Tear''
** ''LOVE YOURSELF: Answer''
--> Note: not ''all'' of the music videos they release are part of the BU - the ones that unquestionably ''are'' have a "BU belongs to..." disclaimer in the Youtube video description. But even then, it's not impossible that they're still connected somehow... even videos that came ''before'' the series officially started.

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: in an environment where AdultsAreUseless, seven boys of various ages found company in each other at school for a year until - for reasons still unexplained - they split up. Years later, oldest member [[TheAtoner Jin]] tries to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong and fix the series of events that led to the group's separation and ensuing tragedy.

The storyline is closely linked to the general narrative and themes present in BTS' music, which in itself contains a ComingOfAgeStory: themes such as the beauty and struggles of youth (''HYYH''), facing temptation and inner conflict (''WINGS'') and the idea of trying and failing to love and be loved [[StepfordSmiler while hiding under a mask]] (''LOVE YOURSELF'') translate into the characters dealing with school and societal pressures, poverty, family and mental health issues, fear of the future, [[GrowingUpSucks maturity]], [[MyGreatestFailure regret]], and so on. A few BTS' songs even directly reference or hint at events and concepts from the story.

There's lots of complementary 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, trailers, concept pictures, tour [=VCRs=], live shows, and even commercials and ''selfies'' [[note]]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[[/note]]. 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 announced the online release of an official webtoon based on the ''BU'' story, titled ''Webcomic/SaveMe'' (which you can read it [[https://www.webtoons.com/en/drama/bts-save-me/list?title_no=1514 here]]), meant to retell the BU story much less ambiguously, serving as the series' MindScrewdriver. A book compilation of ''The Notes'' was released in March, as well.

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

[[folder: ''HYYH'' series]]

[[folder:Other media]]

-->-- '''Jin, ''HYYH: The Notes'''''

* ''HYYH: The Notes'': Booklets from the physical albums of the ''LOVE YOURSELF'' series. They contain diary-entry-style narration from each one of the seven characters at different points in the story, [[AllThereInTheManual revealing key plot points and backstory]]. Each version of the albums[[note]]L, O, V and E, for ''Her''; Y, O, U and R for ''Tear''; S, E, L, F for ''Answer''[[/note]] contains a different set of ''Notes''; you need to read all to get a complete sense of the story.
** [=BigHit=] has published one of the ''Notes'' from each album in the series on Twitter and Instagram weeks before said album's official release:
*** ''[[https://twitter.com/bighitent/status/896748183765753856?lang=en LOVE YOURSELF: Her]]'' (Jin, published on August 14th, 2017, Korean time)
*** ''[[https://twitter.com/bighitent/status/992056198139559936?lang=en LOVE YOURSELF: Tear]]'' (Jungkook, published in May 4rd, 2018)
*** ''[[https://twitter.com/BigHitEnt/status/1026483068683444224 LOVE YOURSELF: Answer]]'' (Jin, published in August 7th, 2018)
** Fan translations in English for ''The Notes'' can be found in:
*** [[https://www.dropbox.com/sh/tccz96h2tewejj0/AABkwUNCtJEcmFqj0ATXoEZWa?dl=0 This Dropbox folder]] by Twitter user @papercrowns (both translations and compilation), complete for all 3 albums and organized in folders by member and by date.
*** A [[https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SOISDkmaNqj9Ad3RzWhmJT6lTw3aY4ih PDF document]] made by Twitter user @MNYGIGLOSS with translations by user @doyou_bangtan, containing translations with links to official videos pertinent to each entry. Currently only containing the Notes for ''LOVE YOURSELF: Tear''.
*** 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. 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 compiling The Notes (adding some unreleased ones) 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]].

* DealWithTheDevil: The climax of "Blood, Sweat and Tears", where Jin [[spoiler:kisses a dark-winged statue representing Taehyung]], has undertones of this, especially as the song and the ''WINGS'' album themselves talk about facing evil and its temptation.

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

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 protagonist is [[TheAtoner Jin]], who tries to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong and fix the series of events that led to the group's separation and the ensuing tragedy.

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. A few BTS' songs even directly reference or hint at events and concepts from the story.

There's lots of complementary 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 announced the online release of an official webtoon based on the ''BU'' story, titled ''Webcomic/SaveMe'' (which you can read it [[https://www.webtoons.com/en/drama/bts-save-me/list?title_no=1514 here]]), meant to retell the BU story much less ambiguously, serving as the series' MindScrewdriver. A book compilation of ''The Notes'' was announced to be released in March, as well.

'''WARNING''': While not ''particularly'' graphic, this series deals with some heavy themes and violent/possibly triggering content, including murder, mental illness, suicide and physical/emotional abuse by parents and figures of authority. The first video of the series has a censored version for a reason, y'know.

* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX0vO4vlJuU Euphoria : Theme of LOVE YOURSELF 起 Wonder]]''. Short film ''and'' music video for "Euphoria", song that has yet to be released in an album.