5th BTS Global Interdisciplinary Conference: From Role to Responsibility: Intergenerational Mutuality in the Glocal Infrastructure of BTS Fandom

My paper, “From Role to Responsibility: Intergenerational Mutuality in the Glocal Infrastructure of BTS Fandom,” has been accepted for oral presentation at the 5th BTS Global Interdisciplinary Conference in Jeonju, South Korea this July 2026.

This one is personal.

It comes from our lived experiences as ARMY mother and daughter walking the streets of Seoul during Festa 2025, carrying questions, holding hands, learning how love moves across generations and borders.

It asks what it means to grow together inside a fandom that is not just community, but infrastructure. Where participation and responsibility are the core of fandom culture.

Bangtan taught us that we do not stand alone. We arrive because someone held the door open. And so this paper is my way of saying: we see each other, we carry each other, we become better for each other. 

From role to responsibility. From fan to citizen. From here to there, and back again.

We are ARMY, always. 💜

Bangtan Herman Notes: BTS is Our 7

BTS is ARMYs’ 7. Our 7.

Bangtan kicks off DDay of Arirang Tour in Goyang today at 6pm. Watching the three MVs together, as I wait. I’m starting to feel like they tell a story about Bangtan’s return.

First comes Swim. To me, it feels like a love letter to ARMY.

The imagery carries symbols of time and memory. A compass, a museum, the sense of distance and history. And yet the message underneath feels simple: no matter how far the journey takes them, the connection remains. Near or far. Past or present. The compass always finds its way back.

Then comes 2.0. The tone shifts. Suddenly Bangtan feels like they’re stepping back into the arena. But not with anger or noise. With something sharper: art, culture, humor, media literacy, even filial piety. It’s almost as if they’re saying they know the industry they’re returning to is more complex, more competitive than ever.

And they’re ready for it. Not just with music, but with wisdom and composure.

If Swim is the promise of connection, 2.0 feels like the preparation and the approach.

And then we arrive at Hooligan. Here the energy transforms again.

The rebellion is back. The trickster is out of the box. The voices, the symbolism, the choreography. Everything feels like Bangtan remembering who they have always been.

Auteurs. Storytellers. Myth-makers.

In Hooligan, the past and the present seem to exist in the same frame. The rebellious youth. The seasoned artists. Seven voices moving like a single current. OT7. But also something stronger now. OT7 2.0. When I look at the three MVs together, they don’t just feel like separate releases but, a series!

First, the reminder that the connection still exists. Then, the preparation for the world they’re returning to. And finally, the arrival.

Bangtan stepping back onto the stage not as they were before, but as a whole. OT7. And the story continues.

To ARMYs from all over, wherever you are, in whatever way or manner you are watching the concert and with whom you share this joy, BTS is “OUR” 7.

Apobangpo! Purple and true 💜 

Bangtan Hermana Notes: Fandom Beyond Hype: OD Lessons From a Golden ARMY

Fandom Beyond the Hype by zarah gagatiga

Fangirling @ 14 and 40: A Witnessing of the Lived Experience of Filipino Teenagers and Middle-Aged Women ARMY Zine Edition 2026

Three years ago, more or less, I wrote a paper that centers Filipino teenagers and middle-aged women ARMYs and examines how they navigate bias, prejudice, and joy in fandom spaces. Prompted by the clamor for acknowledgment and respect for Baby ARMYs in these age groups during BTS’s Enlistment Era, I recently revisited the paper and made revisions. 

Below is the abstract and the QR code for the full paper.

Fangirling @ 14 and 40: A Witnessing of the Lived Experience of Filipino Teenagers and Middle-Aged Women ARMY

By Zarah C. Gagatiga, RL

Read and presented at the 4th BTS Global Interdisciplinary Conference, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on August 16–18, 2023

Abstract

Teenage fangirls have long been stereotyped as shallow and irrelevant. On worse occasions, they are stigmatized as hysterical fans trapped in their own bubble of delusion. With the advent of K-pop, the screaming fangirl trope has resurfaced as well as the mature women who fangirl over K-pop idols, bands, girl groups, and boy groups alike. Teenagers or middle-aged women fangirls both experience prejudice and indifference from families, friends, and the larger society.

This academic essay explores the narratives and lived experiences of Filipino teenage girls and middle-aged women ARMY who, in one way or another, have survived and thrived in their own ways through interacting and engaging with co-ARMYs and their chosen fanbase. Using phenomenology as research design, the thematic analysis shows that Filipino teenage girls gravitate to the self-awareness and identity formation present in the art and music of BTS. On the one hand, middle-aged women are drawn to BTS’ songs and aesthetics that engage them to introspect, leading them to reclaim their lost selves and rediscover new talents and rekindle friendships with co-ARMYs in their age group. The essay highlights the unifying power of BTS in bridging age gaps and fostering camaraderie among female fans of diverse backgrounds.

Bangtan Hermana Notes: From Me to We: On Personal Joy and the Collective and Communal Nature of Fandom

RC Muñoz’s autograph post. Ticketing battles won or lost. Barricade flexes and seated preferences. Again and again, fandom conversations circle back to this: personal joy versus collective care.

On the surface, fandom looks like a string of individual stories: I got lucky, I persevered with my iPhone 16, I saved for years. Social media magnifies this focus on the self, rewarding posts that showcase proximity or possessions. Hyperindividualism at its finest at a time of war, division and uncertainty. It is no surprise that the prevailing mindset becomes: “I’ll celebrate my way, and that’s enough.” It does not help that in a capitalist consumer culture, fandom is too easily reduced to what we buy, what we hold, what we can show.

The artists we stan becomes COMMODITY.

But fandom is not only personal. It is also communal. Lighting the MOA Globe purple, singing in unison at concerts, streaming in circles, organizing cupsleeves events and watch parties. These are not solitary acts; they are rituals of community and belonging. And as Clifford Geertz (1973) reminds us, rituals are texts we interpret. To do a “thick description” of fandom* is to see beyond the surface gesture and into the layered meanings: a light on a globe is not just electricity, it is longing, belonging, a collective claim to space. A cupsleeve is not just paper, it is memory shared over coffee, proof that ARMY is plural.

So why does individualism still prevail? Because it is the language capitalism teaches us. Because “celebrate your way” is easier than asking “who gets left out?” Because envy is deflected by shrinking fandom into personal coping, rather than expanding it into communal and relational accountability.

The challenge is not to erase personal joy, RC’s happiness is hers, barricade victories are theirs. The challenge is to keep joy mindful. Joy is sacred. And in fandom where fangirls are prejudiced, A WOMAN’S JOY IS SACRED. To celebrate with gentleness, knowing others were scammed, excluded, unlucky. To remember that purple is not just a personal color, but a shared one. These all point to connection and community despite individual differences.

Maybe ARMY’s work is to resist fandom being flattened into “me” and recover the “we.” To thicken our descriptions of what it means to be fans not just as consumers, but as companions, co-creators, caretakers. BTS has always reminded us that we never walk alone. That they are more than idols, artists and products of an industry. They are people. And in their art and music, we find humanity. BTS never sang alone, and neither should we.

Apobangpo. Purple and true.

* Geertz defines thick description as a method of interpreting culture by attending not only to observed behavior but also to the context and meaning behind it, like “sorting out the structures of signification” through which people make their actions meaningful (The Interpretation of Cultures, 1973, p. 6).

#BangtanHermanaNotes #ARMYAfterThoughts

Bangtan Hermana Notes: The Many Ways to "Purple You"

 

Book Review: BTS: A Little Golden Book Biography (2 of 3)

In Part 1 of this series, I reflected on the cultural and emotional weight of BTS: Little Golden Book Biography and how its very existence feels like a milestone in both early literacy and BTS’ legacy.

Now, with the digital review copy from Penguin Random House, I’ve had the joy of reading it cover to cover. What I found was more than just a charming children’s biography. It was a tender, artful retelling of a story ARMY knows by heart, filled with details that speak to both newcomers and long-time fans.

Here are my impressions.

Part 2: My Reading Impressions of BTS: Little Golden Book Biography

The underdog narrative was kept and honored in this book without being judgmental or accusatory. It's told with the tenderness of a story that knows where its heart is: in the long, winding journey from obscurity to the global stage.

ARMYs, believe that "1 is 7; 7 is one." This belief is beautifully presented on the very first page: all seven members in a huddle, with Suga facing away as he always does in these moments. That detail alone made me smile. From there, the book unfolds with each member's origin story, a tale every ARMY knows by heart, yet one that never loses its magic in the retelling.

The illustrations are simply adorable, soft, endearing, and, I suspect, rendered in watercolor. If so, my oh my! All the more reason for me to love this book. The gentle palette and expressive lines make the storytelling even warmer, inviting young readers into BTS' world with ease.

As a school librarian, I find BTS: Little Golden Book Biography worthy of acquisition. Call it my bias if you must but consider this: how many students in your school love K-pop and are fans of BTS? How many readers in your learning community are ARMY? The presence of this book in a school library is not just about fandom; it is a message of representation and a nod to the benefits of learning from pop culture and its influences.

In my next post, I'll share activities you can do in the library or at home using this book as a springboard to expand and extend the reading experience.

Read part 1 of the series here, Kuwentong Bangtan: BTS A Little Golden Book Biography (1 of 3)

As the release date draws near, the celebration goes beyond my own reading joy. In Part 3, I’ll share how the ARMY of Bangtan will mark this milestone through a month-long blog tour along with a guide for parents and school librarians to make the most of BTS: Little Golden Book Biography in nurturing young readers.

Kuwentong Bangtan: The Return Is the Ritual Reflections on BTS, Community and Why We Feel Safe

Last night, BTS went live on Weverse as seven. Their first group live after completing their military service. No fanfare. No flash. Just the seven of them sitting together: talking, teasing, and laughing like no time had passed. Our chaotic 7 whom we missed so much.

My daughter watched it and posted an edit she found on Tiktok showing the last live OT7 had in September 2022 and the one last night post-military. Her caption read: “It's like they never left.”

She’s right. That familiar rhythm; the way they lean into each other; listening in and taking a cue from a planned message for ARMY; the inside jokes; the tone of their voices when they’re together. It was all there. And it made so many of us feel "safe".

An ARMY in the comments said, “Why does this constancy always make me feel safe?” And I have been thinking about this all day-- on top of my online classes, a deadline to beat and a training manual to finish.

Maybe it’s because we’re so used to things shifting, especially now on social media where our digital lives are ruled by algorithms and AI. Things move so fast and change happens in a blink of an eye before we can even make sense of what has passed. In the same vein that fandoms and fanbase change. 

People leave. We get abandoned.

Trends rise and fall. We wonder where to anchor our beliefs.

But BTS? They show up. 

Even after everything. Even after the distance and the silence, they return, not just to the stage, but to us. And that kind of showing up is rare.

ARMY, we all saw them last night-- and in succeeding posts of ARMYs and fans, form translations, clips, memes and reactions. They are returning strong and transformed, but comforting and familiar. Like nothing has really changed.

My daughter continued the conversation and added something she read online: “The price of community is inconvenience.” That line stayed with me because it is true, but, there is a nuance to it. Community isn’t effortless. It means choosing to be present. It means communicating and articulating honestly that things are changing. That at some point, people will pause and keep silent. And in the downtime, there are those in the fanbase who chose to stay with BTS while in conscription. It’s not easy. Even when you're tired or busy or uncertain, joining the live, commenting, streaming, defending, celebrating. These are all part of this quiet work of being together.

The thing is, ARMYs are not just fans consuming content. We’re participants in something built over years. Being part of ARMY means giving time, attention, care. And in a world where hyper-individualism is often rewarded, choosing community, choosing to show up, can feel like rebellion.

The conversation continues when an ARMY chimed in, saying: “Good thing we can do both! My individual-ness might not be able to take it.” And there’s the beauty of it, we can do both. We don’t have to erase ourselves to be part of something bigger. BTS shows us that. Their bond isn’t about sameness, it’s about connection. It grows and changes, but it doesn’t disappear. It evolves, and yet, somehow, stays the same.

That’s duality. And it’s comforting.

With BTS and ARMY, it is not the spectacle or the performative fangirling that is already a stereotype among Kpoppers-- no offense meant. What holds BTS and ARMY are the rituals that have been built overtime. Not the comebacks but the returns. Jin performing live a day after discharge and hugging 1,000 ARMYs. Hoseok allowing Jin to sing Spring Day with him on 613. JK being present for 2Seok in Jamais Vu. And Yoongi, donating millions for the care of children in the spectrum. The live last night felt like home because they have always been with ARMY through two years of being away in the military.  

And the joy ARMY felt? It’s not just from new music of Jin and Hoseok or the big announcements of an album and a world tour. It’s in the rhythm of presence. In the trust we’ve built, slowly, over years.

The return is the ritual. And in that, we are never really lost. We never walk alone.

Kuwentong Bangtan: Transcendence in Language and Music Bangtan Style

Back in August 2021, BTS had an interview for TIME where Namjoon stated their goal of transcendence through language and music using them as means to break barriers and cross borders. It is no wonder that singing English songs was a step towards the goal. Including sign language in PTD amplifies this goal even more. Hobi explained the gestures and the signs in an interview at SBS in September of the same year.

@titazeeh7

From the interview in TIME magazine last August 2021, Namjoon and BTS speak of language and music as transcendences 💜

♬ original sound - zarahg08 - TitaZee

Fast forward to 2024, Namjoon combines three languages in Domodachi: Korean; English and Japanese. It is an uncanny combination but the song makes perfect sense! And then we have Jimin who communicates his love for ARMYs in Smeraldo Garden Marching Band and signs L-O-V-E for the dance challenge.

One would think that doing so is their way of catering to an international audience. A marketing and business move. Nothing wrong there but there is undeniable joy and sincerity in their performances. They proudly speak of their happiness in pre-recorded interviews and WV posts.

Their dedication to breaking language barriers and reaching out to fans from all corners of the world is more than just a strategy—it's a testament to their love and appreciation for ARMY. By embracing multiple languages and incorporating sign language, BTS continues to innovate and connect on a deeper level. It’s this sincerity and joy that make their performances resonate so powerfully with fans globally. As we look forward to their future endeavors, one thing is clear: BTS will always find new ways to bring us together.

Sources:

TIME interview: https://youtu.be/iZJfVYb2w9w?si=nDe9iMpvWgGSfbQK

SBS interview: https://youtu.be/p1d3aaDGtL4?si=N_npi5_h7uJ7sPFt

BTS Book Donation Drive: Reading Gives Hope ! Books Bring Sunshine

Reading Gives Hope * Books Bring Sunshine

A Book Donation Drive for Peace Kamp

This book donation drive is inspired by BTS, most especially Jung Ho-seok aka J-Hope, and their positive messages of diversity, inclusion, hope and loving oneself through their music and art performances.

Since the National Children’s Book Day (NCBD) is on July 20 this book donation drive is made up of book bundles containing titles that were awarded the National Children’s Book Award, The Kids’ Choice Award, the Wordless Book Prize of 2018 and the PBBY Salanga and Alcala Prizes. Inclusion and diversity are the themes of the NCBD 2021 following the tagline Magkaiba? Magbasa. Magkaisa! Thus, books that were selected for each bundle agree with the themes of the NCBD 2021.

The five book bundles are *OT7 Book Bundle, JHope Book Bundle, VMin Book Bundle, JinKook Book Bundle, and NamGi Book Bundle.

How to donate

1.     Select a book bundle/bundle to donate to a Peace Kamp student/s and/or Reading Center from Dear Books. There are 20 students who will be the recipient of the book donation.

2.     Your book donation will have your name as donor. You can also write a special note to the recipient of the donation.

3.     In return, you will get a certificate of donation from Peace Kamp and Dear Books.

4.     Book bundles will be picked up by Peace Kamp staff from Dear Books office/shop which then will be brought to students in Peace Kamp.

You can also buy a book bundle for your own personal and home library. 😊

Reading Gives Hope! Books Bring Sunshine!

 

Reading Gives Hope * Books Bring Sunshine

A Book Donation Drive for Peace Kamp

This book donation drive is inspired by BTS, most especially Jung Ho-seok aka J-Hope, and their positive messages of diversity, inclusion, hope and loving oneself [PP1] through their music and art performances.

Since the National Children’s Book Day (NCBD) is on July 20 this book donation drive is made up of book bundles containing titles that were awarded the National Children’s Book Award, The Kids’ Choice Award, the Wordless Book Prize of 2018 and the PBBY Salanga and Alcala Prizes. Inclusion and diversity are the themes of the NCBD 2021 following the tagline Magkaiba? Magbasa. Magkaisa! Thus, books that were selected for each bundle agree with the themes of the NCBD 2021.

The five book bundles are *OT7 Book Bundle, JHope Book Bundle, VMin Book Bundle, JinKook Book Bundle, and NamGi Book Bundle.

*OT7 Book Bundle consists of the 20 Kuwentong Musmos Books published by Room to Read US in cooperation with Adarna House, Anvil Publishing, Hiyas and Lampara Books.

1 Set of Kuwentong Musmos (5 books by Lampara Books)

-             Masaya Ang Maging Ako by Zarah Gagatiga and Jamie Bauza

-             Kiko Kitikiti by Lauren Macaraeg and Ito Chua

-             Ang Batang Papet by Norman Baquirin and Angela Taguiang

-             Ang Nanay Kong Drayber by Reina Peralta and Pepot Atienza

-             Ang Alaga Kong Lolo by Genaro Gojo Cruz and Lui Buan

1 set of Kuwentong Musmos (5 books by Adarna House)

-             Noel! Noel! Noel! by Kristine Canon and Nina Martinez

-             Paboritong Lugar ni Nanay by Weng Cahiles and Aldy Aguirre

-             Sampung Eroplano by Liwliwa Malabed and Pergy Acuna

-             Tara! Itok! Kora Dandan-Albano and Ara Villena

-             Sayaw ng Mga Kamay Joanna Que and Fran Alvarez

1 set of Kuwentong Musmos (5 Books by OMF/Hiyas)

-             Ang Kuya Kong Zombie by Luis Gatmaitan and Ivan Reverente

-             Imbisibol by Yna Reyes and Mike Amante

-             Kaya ni Mina by Janine Marie Rivera and Cy Vendivel

-             Sakto Lang Joshene Bersales and Domz Agsaway

-             Tinola ni Nanay by Maloi Malibiran-Salumbides and Felix Mago Miguel

1 set of Kuwentong Musmos (5 books Anvil)

-             Sayaw ni Dayaw by Cheeno Marlo Sayuno and Harry Monzon

-             Sali Ako! by Alyssa Reyes and Iori Espiritu

-             Paalam Puti by Jomike Tejido

-             Maanghang na Salita by Rhandee Garlitos and Beth Parrocha

-             Duyan Pababa sa Bayan by Mary Gigi Constantino and Enid Din

Cost: Php 2,985.00

·       The OT7 Book Bundle is recommended for anyone who wishes to gift a school, a library or a reading center.

 

What follows are four book bundles in honor of JHope, V and Jimin, Jin and Jung Kook, and RM and Suga.

JHope Book Bundle – Joy and Sunshine[PP2] 

The themes of this book bundle are joy and sunshine. The selected titles for this book bundle cover these themes plus one book from a beloved Kapampangan folk song.

Atin Cu Pung Singsing Kapampangan Children’s Book (Adarna House)

1 Set of Kuwentong Musmos (5 books by Lampara Books)

-        Masaya Ang Maging Ako by Zarah Gagatiga and Jamie Bauza

-        Kiko Kitikiti by Lauren Macaraeg and Ito Chua

-        Ang Batang Papet by Norman Baquirin and Angela Taguiang

-        Ang Nanay Kong Drayber by Reina Peralta and Pepot Atienza

-        Ang Alaga Kong Lolo by Genaro Gojo Cruz and Lui Buan

The Great Duck and Crocodile Race written and illustrated by Robert Magnuson, [PP3] (OMF Literature, Inc.)

The Day of Darkness written by Gutch Gutierrez and Zig Marasigan and illustrated by Gutch Gutierrez (The Bookmark, Inc.)

Habulan written by Kora Dandan-Albano and illustrated by Beth Parrocha[PP4]  (Anvil Publishing, Inc.)

Pitong Tsinelas (Seven Slippers) written by Divine Gil Reyes and and illustrated by Benjor Catindig (Tahanan Books for Young Readers)

Cost: Php 1,614.00

VMin Book Bundle – Family and Friendship

The themes of this book bundle are family and friendship. The selected titles for this book bundle cover these themes plus one book from a beloved Kapampangan folk song.

Atin Cu Pung Singsing Kapampangan Children’s Book (Adarna House)

1 set of Kuwentong Musmos (5 books by Adarna House)

-        Noel! Noel! Noel! by Kristine Canon and Nina Martinez

-        Paboritong Lugar ni Nanay by Weng Cahiles and Aldy Aguirre

-        Sampung Eroplano by Liwliwa Malabed and Pergy Acuna

-        Tara! Itok! Kora Dandan-Albano and Ara Villena

-        Sayaw ng Mga Kamay Joanna Que and Fran Alvarez

 

Sandwich to the Moon written and illustrated by Jamie Bauza, (Chikiting Books)

Sinemadyika written by Lauren V. Macaraeg and illustrated by Aldy Aguirre, (Lampara Publishing House, Inc.)

Big Sister written by Zarah Gagatiga and illustrated by Ruben de Jesus, (Lampara Publishing House, Inc.)

I Will Always Love You More written by Peachy Concepcion and illustrated by Joel Chua, (Anvil Publishing, Inc.)

Cost: Php 1,603.00

JinKook Book Bundle – Inclusivity

The theme of this book bundle is inclusivity. The selected titles for this book bundle cover these themes plus one book from a beloved Kapampangan folk song.

Atin Cu Pung Singsing Kapampangan Children’s Book (Adarna)

1 set of Kuwentong Musmos (5 Books by OMF/Hiyas)

-        Ang Kuya Kong Zombie by Luis Gatmaitan and Ivan Reverente

-        Imbisibol by Yna Reyes and Mike Amante

-        Kaya ni Mina by Janine Marie Rivera and Cy Vendivel

-        Sakto Lang Joshene Bersales and Domz Agsaway

-        Tinola ni Nanay by Maloi Malibiran-Salumbides and Felix Mago Miguel

Made Perfect in Weakness written by Didith Rodrigo and illustrated by Patricia Lascano, (The Bookmark, Inc.)

Salusalo para kay Kuya written by Ergoe Tinio and illustrated by JC Galag, (Adarna House, Inc.

Si Berting, ang Batang Uling written by Christopher S. Rosales and illustrated by Aldy Aguirre, Lampara Publishing House, Inc.

Ang Bonggang-bonggang Batang Beki! written by Rhandee Garlitos and illustrated by Tokwa Peñaflorida, Chikiting Books

Ang Ikaklit sa Aming Hardin written by Bernadette Villanueva Neri and illustrated by CJ de Silva, Publikasyong Twamkittens

Cost: Php 1,603.00

NamGi Book Bundle – Diversity and Community

The themes of this book bundle are diversity and community. The selected titles for this book bundle cover these themes plus one book from a beloved Kapampangan folk song.

Atin Cu Pung Singsing Kapampangan Children’s Book (Adarna)

1 set of Kuwentong Musmos (5 books Anvil)

-        Sayaw ni Dayaw by Cheeno Marlo Sayuno and Harry Monzon

-        Sali Ako! by Alyssa Reyes and Iori Espiritu

-        Paalam Puti by Jomike Tejido

-        Maanghang na Salita by Rhandee Garlitos and Beth Parrocha

-        Duyan Pababa sa Bayan by Mary Gigi Constantino and Enid Din

Ang Sampung Bukitkit written by Eugene Y. Evasco and illustrated by Ibarra C. Crisostomo, (LG&M Corporation)

Mang Andoy’s Signs written by Mailin Paterno and illustrated by Isabel Roxas, Tahanan Books for Young Readers

Marvino’s League of Superheroes written by Rae Rival-Cosico and illustrated by Jamie Bauza, (Adarna House, Inc.)

Supremo written by Xi Zuq and illustrated by Al Estrella (Adarna House)

Cost: Php 1,512.75