Thread by @renkiger_

[Thread] — The history of 보라해 (borahae)💜
보라해, and purple, are such a beautiful and organic part of BTS and ARMY. And there’s more to its origins, its adoption, and spread, than just only this (legendary) moment that it gets simplified down to +

borahae is one of those BTS & ARMY things repeated in a simplified way so often it kinda feels like some history or context is being lost, or obscured, over time. Plus, as everyone who has watched D2 3rd Muster in full knows, it isn’t actually when “보라해” itself was first used+

And, it feels a bit like remembering the meaning Tae gave to purple: “to TRUST and love [each other] for a long time” is, maybe now more than ever, important.
So, let’s go back…💜 +
(and settle in, this one is reeeeeaallly long 📖)

3rd Muster was announced at end of August 2016. This wasn’t v long after 2nd Muster had (finally) taken place in late January 2016 (it had been cancelled in June 2015 because of MERS). 2nd Muster had been for just 1 day, in Hwajung Gymnasium (a venue w a capacity of abt 8-9000) +

3rd Muster was held for 2 days, November 12 and 13, 2016, at Gocheok Sky Dome, with about 18-19,000 ARMY for each day.
It was also BTS’ first solo dome in Korea. BTS’ (and ARMY’s) growth from 2015, through the HYYH era, had been their fastest to date (at that time).
But, +

2015 through 2016 was also a time of seemingly unrelenting various online attacks and accusations against BTS, trying to create controversies and/or hurt them and ARMYs.
*see previous thread⤵️ re the turning point in 2015 for when the hate began exponentially increasing +

https://twitter.com/renkiger_/status/1430726297374773252

*see also some more context re mid-2016 in this thread⤵️ +

https://twitter.com/renkiger_/status/1443272047296057344

*Others have done overviews of some of the other hate (and lies) said abt, & thing done to, BTS & ARMY during that time, and I don’t intend to bring it all up (it’d be like a novel long anyway). But how difficult the time (ie heading into 3rd Muster) was shouldn’t be downplayed +

*It was late 2016, right before 3rd Muster, that BH announced (for the first time) that it would (finally) be taking legal action against those spreading false information and engaging in defamation against BTS (the unrelenting attacks and hate posts/comments had gotten so bad) +

Tickets for Muster went on (pre)sale for ARMY fanclub on Sept 1 w general sale following in the evening of Sept 5. Then, without warning, at 12am KST Sept 5 BH dropped the Begin short film w #/Wings🤯
BH then confirmed comeback, RTing an article — BTS’ next full album was coming+

In the days that followed, BH dropped the rest of the Wings’ short films one-by-one causing panic, confusion and excitement everyday. A new era. Finally, on Sept 25, they announced Wings would be released on October 10. An hour later (12am KST), they released Boy Meets Evil 🤯 +

Concept pic reveals followed. Then, Oct 6, 2016, they dropped the Wings track list (this isn’t a Wings cb thread, I promise, just context)…

After the announcement of 3rd Muster, the fanclub manager on the (old) fancafe opened submissions for ARMY Time projects (sorry, no SS +

Those pages are gone now, and since the projects were secret from BTS, ARMY was v good at not discussing publicly where it might somehow get back to them).
*Tangent: The way all official ARMY Time events worked in the past was that ARMY (often a fanbase) would submit proposals +

When submissions closed, the fanclub manager would select one and then coordinate w them about things like quantities, wording (esp instructions on banners), some logistics etc, and ask for changes if there were things that needed to be changed (ie for safety or other concerns) +

Once everything was approved, it was left to ARMY to get it done: from fundraising, to getting things printed/made on time, picking everything up, then dropping it off for staff as arranged at the venue ahead of the event. Staff would then handle the day-of distribution +

*Back to thread
When submitting proposals, ARMY didn’t know what the song would be for ARMY time. But you could try to guess. And, BTS revealed during their Wings cb VLive that 2!3! was their first official fan song…and that it’d be nice to sing it with everyone at concerts🥲 +

We have to talk a bit about “2!3! (Still wishing there will be more good days)”. Because once Wings came out, Hobi’s ^ prediction that ARMY will cry, was very very true.
Please go reread the lyrics🥺
“믿는다면 하나 둘 셋
If you believe me, one two three”+
doolsetbangtan.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/two…

The projects submitted by fanbase, @/BTSandMe (now @/BTS_ARMYZIP) for 3rd Muster were approved.
Back then they had a website 방탄소년단닷컴(.)com (now on a diff server + the archives pre-2017/18(?) weren’t saved).
D1’s project was a banner:
“Because I trust/believe in you, 2, 3”

BTS didn’t get a light stick until 2015 & ver 1 didn’t change color.
So, while ARMY cld light up the dome, making sure there was no darkness for BTS, ARMY cldn’t (yet) bring them color…So, the original project idea for D2 was using colored pen lights to create a colored ocean…+

But it wld have been hard to fundraise/wasn’t approved so it changed to using plastic bag covers. A vote was held on the website to pick the color. The options were: blue, green, purple, maybe red + one other.
Purple won. Bc it glowed well & wld represent a flower path for BTS🥹+

We also need to talk a bit more abt D1. First dome, first performance of 2!3! w ARMY, and the ‘ments that followed that project…D1 was full of tears 😭
It was on D1 Tae shared that he’d struggled recently because his grandmother had passed. He cried. Bangtan cried. ARMY cried +

It was a moment of openness, vulnerability, and trust.
There were/are fancams of his full ‘ment, but I’m only adding the edited down part in this thread (which they chose to include on the DVD).
This was Tae’s D1 ending ‘ment, in full, transcribed:
+

Also, on D1, at the end of his ‘ment, Hobi read back the slogan being held by ARMY, based on the lyrics in 2!3!, and then said:
“I really believe in/trust you [ARMY]. We'll believe in/trust you, and ARMYs, please believe in/trust us too.” 🥺
+

Ppl had live-streamed (mostly audio) muster, so news of Tae’s ending ‘ment spread fast online. While ARMYs sent so much sympathy, love & consolation, some toxic parts of other fandoms, and antis, mocked & attacked. It was…bad (Receipt accts may still have SS, but I won’t add) +

In short, it was a big mix of emotions for everyone going into D2 of Muster…

As ARMY entered the venue, staff handed them a purple bag. ARMY bomb version 1 also wasn’t centrally controlled, so when ARMY Time was abt to start (after a VCR) ARMY suddenly had to coordinate… +

Basically, some turned their (now covered and purple) ARMY bombs on early (BTS were still backstage), which made others start yelling instructions (‘turn it off, ARMY!’). The whole dome then spontaneously coordinated to make sure all were off (it was a manual switch) +

ARMY got the dome to a nearly perfect ‘all off’, then turned them back on, all together, now purple, as the VCR ended, ARMY Time came on screen, and 2!3! started…And, ofc, at the end of 2!3! ARMY kept singing — to BTS — finishing the song after BTS, and the music, had stopped…+ twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Yoongi realized ARMY had created a flower path for BTS. Joon explained purple had been his favorite childhood color. And then Tae made up the definition of purple that was simply perfect, capturing what BTS & ARMY were trying to tell each other in 2!3!, and with the fan projects+

The meaning Tae gave purple, “trust and love for a long time”, was perfect for everything between ARMY & BTS in that moment, and for everything that had up led to it. Togetherness & hope in the face of so many hard times🥺

But, he didn’t actually say “borahae” itself that day +

*slight tangent
After D2 of muster was again a lot of tears for ARMY, but mostly because of the purple ocean and love, sense of communion and loyalty, not sadness. Both Jimin and Hobi reached out later that evening to ARMY. Jimin recorded a log and Hobi posted on the fancafe +

Neither mentioned purple, or the project, specifically but both talked about how they’d felt ARMYs sincerity, support, and bond.
Jimin: “…it was a time where we realized once again how our fans are so sincere in liking us, treasuring us, and supporting us” +

Hobi wrote a long letter, with a charming “ball” analogy🥹
“Fans & artists become one…this picture is so beautiful…Sometimes I think we & ARMY are just like a big ball!! A firm ball that, however anyone kicks us, we will just pop back up, and fly higher & further together!!” +

*Back to thread
After Tae gave it its meaning, ARMY picked up purple and, in replies to Tae’s Nov 13 2016 post-muster twt and in other twts to BTS, ARMYs started using
사랑해 보라해 (saranghae borahae),
방탄 보라해 (Bangtan borahae),
#/보라해, &
💜s.
It wasn’t instantly viral +

but it began to spread among ARMY, gaining momentum and wider use, especially through the series of things that happened not long after muster. And because ARMY now had an emoji and a way to promise BTS something more than “just love” — which was special, just between BTS & ARMY+

*I just realized I forgot something…But, if you’ve made it this far into this thread, I assume you already know “borahae” is a portmanteau term, of the Korean words for “Purple” + “I love you” 😅*
+

BTS were BUSY after 3rd Muster. End of year k-awards were soon to start, and BTS also had a series of fanmeetings in Japan.
On Nov 16, 2016, BTS won a ‘Best Icon Award’ (not a daesang) at the first Asia Artist Awards. Some ARMYs replied with, or sent, BTS “borahae”s & 💜s +

Then, on Nov 19, 2016, BTS won their very first daesang at MMA
So much emotion😭
And ARMY sent LOTS of purple hearts + 보라해요 방탄 (Bangtan borahaeyo) in twts, but especially during BTS’ VLive (and Tae’s Nov 19 msg to ARMY Vlive)+
vlive.tv/video/17355
vlive.tv/video/17627

BTS then went to Japan for promo & fanmeetings and were active on socials - including twt and Vlive. On Nov 26, 2016, Tae twted a vid captioned:
“ARMY, we are all purple heh”
ARMYs ofc replied w LOTS of 💜s & “보라해”s… +

https://twitter.com/bts_twt/status/802478895513509891?s=46&t=fqjiQoHV1v8isAi0CKXtLA

In his Nov 27, 2016 VLive from their Tokyo hotel, Tae mentioned his twt from the day before and that there’d been “a lot of purple” on their account yesterday😅💜
He also said purple was the best.
ARMY didn’t rly need purple encouragement but ofc this spread the purple wave more+

And then, Dec 2, 2016: MAMA.
ARMY had been voting and streaming and working so hard, hoping, and believing in BTS…
…and BTS became the first “non Big 3” act to win Artist of the Year.
Historic. Again.
The tl cried w them, celebrated, and there was LOTS of purple & promises😭 +

But, even before the awards, ARMYs (especially KARMY) were out on the tl, in force, taking over #/MAMARedCarpet with variations of “방탄소년단 보라해” (bangtan sonyeondan borahae) and 💜s +

Tae tweeted to ARMY after the awards🥺
“To the most precious person in the world, ARMY, thank you so much for always being by our side, and thank you so much for always watching over us with your support and love and for filling us with purple…💜💜💜”
+

https://twitter.com/bts_twt/status/804788947209490432?s=46&t=fqjiQoHV1v8isAi0CKXtLA

As always ppl watched BTS & ARMY…
In Jan 2017, it seemed some tried tried to co-opt 보라해 &💜
KARMY shut it down. Hard.
I won’t rly post fanwar stuff but the other fans “defended” they cld, bc borahae etc weren’t official, since weren’t given to us by BH & were just “made up” +

As the dust from that settled, KARMY staked borahae again as unique and belonging only to the relationship between BTS & ARMY, trending #/방탄_보라해 (Bangtan borahae) to No.1 in Korea on Jan 10, 2017.
The trend also seemed to help to further spread it to (even more of) I-ARMY +

Borahae then got tied into ARMYs’ BBMAs efforts. By early Jan 2017 ARMY had sights set, and wanted BTS to be invited. ARMY began a social media campaign, and w that (and later voting after nominations) 보라해 /borahae and 💜 truly and quite explosively spread as BTS’ & ARMYs’ +

I’ll add, in late Jan 2017, BTS did a year-in-review kinda VLive for the platform (winning some made up platform awards). After, Tae tweeted
“ARMYs are all I know 🎼💜”
(Leading, of course, to an avalanche of purple and “borahae” responses) +

That’s abt it for why/how ARMY adopted & it spread
So, what abt BTS first using 보라해 itself?
While Tae used💜soon after muster BTS didn’t use (say or twt) 보라해 itself for a while. It was among ARMY first. The (BH) acct began sending ARMY💜 in late Jan 2017 (after the trends)+

*slight tangent: Also, in late Jan 2017, BH announced a new ARMY Bomb: Ver 2. Wings Tour was soon to start…
She had Bluetooth control for the first time and…changed color! (But wireless control didn’t work internationally😕)
Ver 2 was released Feb 10, the tour started Feb 18…+

During the Wings Tour kickoff in Seoul on Feb 18/19, 2017 Jin played with controlling the brand new color-change function of their ARMY bombs. When he called “purple”, and Gocheok Skydome instantly turned purple, Tae yelled out “보라해!!” +

Yes, I know the 2021 Festa exam and answer key. But it was not fully accurate. Borahae was “born” from 3rd muster, when Tae defined purple, but it wasn’t *used* on stage by BTS until 2017 Wings Tour in Seoul (therefore, the correct answer was actually number 4 🤓) +

As for twt, @BTS_twt first used borahae in a tweet just after midnight KST on December 2, 2017. It was following BTS’ EPIC final stage performances and artist of the year daesang win at MAMA on Dec 1, 2017. BTS all were so happy and proud and thankful to ARMY that day 🥹 +

BTS all thanked ARMY on SNS after the show, and, in his tweet, Tae used “#/보라해 💜💜”
(He seemed (they all did) so happy and proud and excited, even hours later🥹) +

I don’t know if/how many times BTS said 보라해 on stage etc during stops on the Wings tour 🤷‍♀️, but it was undeniably and exclusively BTS’ and ARMYs’ by that point. But know that on D1 of the Wings Final (Dec 8 2017) Tae said borahae after the ARMY bomb wave…+
🎥 cr BTS_wsy10131 twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Later that month, @bts_bighit also used 보라해 for the first time in a tweet, as one of the hashtags for Tae’s birthday +

The first time BTS used 보라해 in the fancafe (they only used it 3 times) was also Tae. He posted pics and a 보라해 post on July 16, 2018, after BTS passed 1 million members in the fancafe (which happened July 14, 2018). The other times BTS said 보라해 in the fc were by JK) +

Annnnd, if you read this insanely long and too detailed thread to here — well done! 😂 I think the only way to end it is to say,
Love and trust BTS. Always.
It’s what we do.
방탄 보라해
아미 보라해
💜💜💜💜💜💜💜