Let’s focus on achieving more for them and getting them the longevity and success they truly deserve. Through interviews, images and behind-the-scenes information, Beyond the Story charts the meteoric rise and immense influence of Korean boyband BTS and is an absolute must-own for all fans of the K-pop megastars. It was a super pleasant read (gulped it down in 2 days), but it was akin to the In the Soop or Bon Voyage interviews when I guess what I was looking for was a bit more of the spontaneous V Live candidness or even the raw storytelling that comes out on Suchwita. When the book inevitably jumps into some new marker of success the reader absolutely has to know about, I'm often left wondering why this wasn't focused on more.

The text takes readers from the trainee days to the Grammy stage, tackling all albums and many ideas behind the multimedia storytelling that is the BTS universe.The many quotes from the members themselves work well to support and legitimize the narrative, but what's really intriguing here is how the book navigates the K-Pop-typical adoration of the fandom (here: ARMY) and the downsides of this very fan service and superstardom in general: Often, the members talk about loneliness, exhaustion, depression, pain (both physical and mental), they address relentless bullying online and the loss of privacy which leads to alienation (also a huge topic of the book). It was wonderful to hear the members’ perspectives on the different ups and downs they’ve had as a group.

We worked together so much and talked with each other so much that little by little, we really did feel we were becoming a team. Beyond The Story is finally out and as promised it is an astounding record that delves deeply into Bangtan's active years before and after their debut in 2013. During the most recent years they have shown everyone what amazing sunbae they are to the younger generations and proved how it takes nothing to be kind in a world that is already too harsh. I wonder when these men even had the time to work on this though, cause we've been drowning in new music and other content for a while like. Most of the issues in this book boil down to the fact that it reads like an article, which is not surprising, given that the author is mostly a journalist.The fact that despite what they faced, they still became the people we know today is a miracle in and of itself. Despite its hefty length the book falls short of actually building an interesting portrayal of the guys or having any kind of cohesive narrative. But also, this isn't a book of 'stories that go beyond what you already know about BTS' either, which is a phrase directly from the back cover. Their vast and diverse discography filled with songs about self-love, self-acceptance, self-discovery, friendships, relationships and so many other important issues along with their sincere lyrics, their outstanding performances and their humble, entertaining and genuine personalities are just SOME of the reasons why BTS will always have a special place in my heart.