Did you see the way Jimin and Jungkook hugged and greeted each other after returning from vacation together 2 days ago and arriving together in the same vehicle 😂. This is why I never take the neighbors seriously when they treat JM and JK greeting each other enthusiastically or saying “I missed you” or “long time no see” as a gotcha moment or proof that they haven’t been hanging out. Istg those two will tell each other I miss you after taking a five minute bathroom break apart. They are so attached. Its adorable.

I think after eight episodes, we were all completely hooked by those last few minutes.

Like I’ve already said and like so many others have said even Yoongi lol it’s honestly wild how they were acting when just two days earlier they’d come back from a trip where they spent more than twelve days together. It’s crazy to see them behaving like that when they literally arrived together in the same car.

But what really makes it funny is how everyone including the members themselves seemed totally thrown off by those two and their behaviour that day.

Ugh, I genuinely can’t wait to see whatever it is the group filmed in Los Angeles. And I’m definitely not talking about just music.

It’s like you don’t know what reading comprehension is. GASP, I KNOW.

Alright, anon, let me explain this properly. I wrote my post from a cultural point of view, thinking about how age hierarchies genuinely matter in Korean society and how those expectations shape the way people behave and speak to each other. When you look at Jimin and Jungkook through that lens, their dynamic becomes even more intriguing and honestly quite fascinating.

Jimin is someone who seems very aware of all of this. That is exactly why, when they were talking in the pub, he told Jungkook that if he felt unwell the next day or if something hurt, he should let him know, because he is his donsaeng. That moment was basically Jimin saying that he has a responsibility to take care of him and that for him to do that properly, Jungkook needs to be honest about what he is feeling. It is caring, but it is also rooted in that idea of seniority.

You see the same thing when Jimin reminds Jungkook that he needs to speak respectfully to Jin because Jin is his hyung. It is Jimin reinforcing that cultural expectation and trying to teach both Jungkook and Taehyung to be respectful to their elders. And then there are the little moments where Jimin refers to himself as hyung around Jungkook, saying that hyung will do this or that. He steps into that role naturally because it is what is expected of him.

But at the same time, you have Jungkook behaving in ways that completely flip that structure. There are times when he talks to Jimin cheekily or boldly, insisting that he was not speaking to Jin disrespectfully, he was speaking like that to Jimin. And Jimin just laughs as if he is not Jungkook’s hyung as well. But at the same time, it is Jungkook telling Jimin that he was not speaking to Jin in a disrespectful way, he was speaking like that to him, and Jimin laughing as if he was not Jungkook’s hyung as well. It is Jungkook warning Jimin or asking him “you want to play this game?”, when Jimin kept eating his food, and Jimin stopping immediately. It is Jimin saying that Jungkook scolded him, or Jimin wanting to do something well so that Jungkook would praise him.

You also have Jimin saying that Jungkook scolded him or Jimin wanting to do something well so that Jungkook would praise him. All of that flips their expected roles. It makes their dynamic feel different from what would usually be considered normal, almost like they switch who is supposed to guide whom. It is playful but it also shows a very comfortable and trusting relationship.

That is what I meant and even more than that. From a cultural point of view it really does look reversed.

I do not know if you simply don’t know or care about their culture or if you spend time in completely different online spaces, but many Koreans have explained that this is not typically common in their culture. Yes, there are exceptions, but they are rare, especially when the age gap is two years. And what makes all of this even more particular is that it is not only about Jungkook dropping honourifics with Jimin or speaking to him in banmal. It is the fact that Jungkook sometimes takes on the role of hyung with Jimin, and Jimin sometimes behaves like Jungkook’s donsaeng.

From a cultural perspective, that is what stands out, and that is exactly why I mentioned it.

This post is already quite long, and I apologise in advance because I’m about to make it even longer. Anon, I have to confess that several of your questions, if not all of them, actually annoyed me a bit ajjaaajajajajja.

Is the company deliberately promoting Jikook?

What? That question really caught me off guard. The company is deliberately promoting what Jimin and Jungkook have done, which undoubtedly includes or means “promoting” the dynamic or the relationship they share. This is the same thing that happened when Memories came out, for example. It’s not that the company was specifically promoting Jikook; it’s that Jikook is simply well… jikook. Jikook exists, and the company can’t do anything but show them. In this case, it’s literally what they have to do because that’s the whole point of the show.

Why wasn’t there this kind of focused promotion during Season 1? Or did I simply not notice it back then because I was still a baby ARMY, new to K-pop and unaware of the whole concept of “shipping” and marketing strategies?

There was. That’s literally what the show is about: to promote their friendship, their closeness, their dynamic as a pair. The promotions, or more accurately, the articles that came out based on the company’s press release, all revolve around how this second season further strengthens or showcases all of that. But this is something the press said back when the first season was released:

“…will deliver a deeper look into Jimin and Jung Kook’s undeniable chemistry and endearing friendship.” – Rolling Stone

“Are You Sure?! set to premiere Aug. 8, highlights the strong chemistry of the duo, known affectionately as Busanz.” – Korean Times

If you look up the articles from that time, they all say the same thing because that’s what the press release stated back then. The exact same thing is happening now. And again, that press release can be taken as a literal description of the show itself. I’m not sure why you didn’t notice, or maybe you just forgot.

If the company has previously promoted Jikook as a duo, then I can understand why some people might think their dynamic is just fan service though I still can’t ignore the depth and authenticity of their bond that clearly goes beyond “friendship” or “brotherhood.”

If that’s the conclusion people come to, then BTS as a whole would also count as fan service, because that’s exactly how both the company and the members have always presented and promoted the group. The real problem here, and I think this applies to many people, is the constant misunderstanding of what fan service actually means. People tend to throw the term around whenever they see something affectionate or close between members, as if everything genuine must automatically be scripted or performed for the audience.

Until that perception changes, and until the general hostility within parts of the fandom towards certain members or certain duos fades away, this same discussion will just keep coming back. The truth is, fan service is part of every entertainment industry, but that does not mean that everything we see is fake or that every interaction is manufactured. Sometimes what people call fan service is simply two people being themselves, and when it comes to Jimin and Jungkook, that has always been the case, in my opinion.

 But if the company hasn’t promoted them this way before, then why now? Is it because the first season was successful and they want to capitalise on that? Could their Disney+ contract have something to do with this?

Because that is exactly what the show is about. Anon, yes, it focuses on their friendship, their bond and the way they interact with one another, but at the same time, it is still a business. They quite literally have to capitalise on the dynamic between Jimin and Jungkook because that dynamic is what makes the whole thing work. It is what makes it entertaining, emotional and appealing to the public. That is also the commercial part of all this, the fact that their friendship and the way they naturally connect are so genuine and engaging that it becomes something people genuinely want to watch. It sells, not because it is forced or fabricated, but because it feels real and effortless.

And that is precisely why we are now getting a second season. If their dynamic had not worked, if people had not responded so well to what they saw in the first one, we simply would not be here. The company would not have invested in another season so quickly, and certainly not through Disney+. The fact that it has happened so soon and on such a big platform says a lot about how successful that formula is. It shows that their chemistry is strong enough to carry an entire series, and that both the agency and the streaming service know that Jimin and Jungkook together are something people genuinely want to see more of.

Yes, this show is for their fans, but making it costs money. It is something created with the audience in mind, of course, yet at the same time it is still a production that requires planning, a full crew, travel, equipment and everything that comes with filming on that scale. Nothing about it is as simple as just two people deciding to go on a trip and record it for fun. There is a whole team behind it, and that means an investment that the company naturally expects to recover.

So while it is indeed a show meant to make fans happy and to share more of Jimin and Jungkook’s friendship, it is also part of a business. It exists because their chemistry and connection attract viewers and generate attention. That is why the agency and Disney+ saw value in continuing it. The friendship is real, but the project around it also has to make financial sense, and in this case, it clearly does.

I used to believe that this show existed for Jikook, that it was something they wanted to do for themselves before it was ever for us.

This is the comment that irritated me the most, to be honest. Jimin and Jungkook clearly said that the show was their idea, mainly Jimin’s, and Jungkook agreed with it. So when you say something like that, you are basically questioning their own words, and that really bothers me. People constantly doubt what Jimin and Jungkook say about each other simply because it does not fit into whatever narrative they have already built around their relationship or the dynamic they share. And that is exactly what seems to be happening here. So I have to ask, are you genuinely a Jikook fan?

The director of the show gave an interview in 2024 where he explained that the initial plan was to film only in the United States. However, once the filming there was finished, it was Jimin and Jungkook themselves who proposed continuing and expanding it. Are You Sure?! was Jimin and Jungkook’s idea from the start, and the agency simply chose to take advantage of that. And honestly, who could blame them? Producing something like this obviously costs a significant amount of money. It is perfectly natural that the company would want to support their idea while also making sure it benefits everyone involved. In the end, it is a project born from them, something they wanted to do, and the company simply provided the means to make it happen.

But now I wonder, do they actually want the world to see and understand the depth of their connection? Or are they being used by their company without realising it?

IT WAS THEIR IDEA. If they truly did not want people to see their dynamic or the connection they share, they simply would not act the way they do in front of the camera. They would not say the things they say or show the kind of affection and closeness that they constantly do. They are not children, and they are certainly not lacking the power to tell the company to exclude certain moments if that was what they wanted. Both of them have enough experience and influence to set boundaries, and the company would respect that.

Fans have been complaining for years that other pairs do not have as many visible “moments” as Jimin and Jungkook in official content, and many of us have always responded with the same explanation. It is most likely because those pairs either do not feel comfortable being filmed in that way, or simply because there is not much there to film. It really is that simple. Not everything is a marketing decision or a company strategy. Sometimes it is just a reflection of how genuine their bond is on or off camera.

I’m worried this could have negative consequences for them in the long run, especially in Korea, where such openness might be viewed as “too revealing” or controversial.

Anon, after everything we’ve seen and everything they’ve done in front of the cameras, nothing negative has happened in that sense, and I don’t think anything will now.

That’s why this sudden openness feels different, almost too exposed, and I can’t tell whether it’s truly their choice or a corporate move.

No, anon. This openness feels natural, at least when it comes to Jimin and Jungkook. Maybe it feels new to you because you’re still relatively new to the fandom and probably haven’t seen a lot of their content yet, but none of this is actually new. The only difference now is that there’s more of Jimin and Jungkook because the entire show is about them, and the agency or Disney can’t shift the audience’s focus by showing other pairs.

Yes, I do.

Hola.

I’m not sure if calling them an “open secret” in Korea is exactly right, but what I can say is that they are, without a doubt, one of the most well-known idol ships in the country. People have been saying that for many years, and I honestly doubt it has changed in recent times. They also have an incredible level of recognition in Japan for the same reason, which is also completely true and widely acknowledged.

Within the fandom, there has always been this idea that Korean ARMYs do not share absolutely everything they know about BTS members in general. Many believe this naturally extends to the ships as well. Every now and then, certain pieces of information have slipped through to the international side, things that Korean fans had kept within their own circles or discussed in local forums and communities. I remember there was even a bit of a controversy with a fansite that supposedly revealed details which seemed to confirm certain things, but that topic quickly disappeared from conversation out of respect for the members and their privacy.

If you take the time to look through Google, Twitter, or even old threads here on Tumblr, you will find a huge amount of conversation about it. The most telling examples usually come from older posts, back when people felt freer to discuss it more openly. In my opinion, that shift in tone also shows how much the fandom has changed over the years, with international fans picking up small fragments while Korean fans tend to keep most of what they know within their own communities.

“People dropping Jikook? Just means you’ve never supported them, but the version of them you’ve made in your heads.”

ALL OF THIS. EVERY SINGLE LETTER OF THIS.

PREACH.