February has a reputation for being a month dedicated to the celebration of love. But these twenty-eight (or nine) days aren't just about valentines and romantic partners; it can also be a month for cultivating self-love...all the ways we appreciate and respect our unique needs/wants, our playful sides, and the types of energy we want to tap into. Frankly, self-love is hot all year long, and it's liberating force becomes more and more evident as we reflect on how we choose to interact with BTS music, content, member personalities, and the fandom as a whole. For us, ARMY life has become a powerful catalyst for cultivating inner love. 

Join Alison, Lia, Tonya and Megan for an open, vulnerable talk about how loving Bangtan can light us up and illuminate paths and truths we want to explore. 

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Want to find more great BTS content? Head over to Afternoona Army for "thinky, thirsty and over thirty" takes on Bangtan life and links to our social media.

The first in our Kim Namjoon Book Club. We noticed RM reading Almond (Won-Pyong Sohn) in the 2020 In the Soop series.

It's the perfect book to jump into for these bonus monthly episodes.

Almond tells the story of Yunjae, who at an early age, is diagnosed with Alexithymia, a condition where people are unable to identify or express their feelings (the almond of the title refers to the underdeveloped almond-shaped amygdalae in his brain. As a result, he has a hard time in social situations. Things take a dark turn when he loses his mother and grandma in a violent attack right before high school. It then becomes a tale of how one "monster" meets "another monster." This is a short read at only 250. Jump into the book club with Alison and Megan to hear their thoughts.

Show Notes:
Almond: A Novel

If you have any questions email us at [email protected].

Want to try an audiobook for the bookclub? Don't forget to click here for your free Audible trial: http://www.audibletrial.com/afternoona
*Audible is a sponsor of our sister pod over at Afternoona Delight Podcast*

Want to catch other great BTS content? Visit www.afternoonaarmy.com. Love K-dramas too? Check out our sister podcast www.afternoonadelight.com.

J-Hope in the Box, the documentary about Hobi making Jack In The Box, is out now on Disney Plus and a WILD RIDE of feels. We follow our favorite Dance Captain as he enters the stretch zone planning everything from the music to the look/feel to the listening party to headlining Lollapolooza in Chicago. We also get to see his KAWS collection at home and Mickey #cutestdogever. Join Tonya, Alison, Megan and Lia as we discuss how J-Hope JUMPED into the second chapter and left no money on the table.

Show Notes:
J-Hope in the Box trailer

If you have any questions email us at [email protected].

Want to try an audiobook for the bookclub? Don't forget to click here for your free Audible trial: http://www.audibletrial.com/afternoona
*Audible is a sponsor of our sister pod over at Afternoona Delight Podcast*

Want to catch other great BTS content? Visit www.afternoonaarmy.com. Love K-dramas too? Check out our sister podcast www.afternoonadelight.com.

Two friends. Two drinks. Three surprise questions each about BTS. Did Lia ask Lexi to play marry, mate and murder with BT21? She really, really did. See how your own answers line up with ours!

Show Notes:
Lexi Time Travel Choice (Wembley)
Lia Time Travel Choice (Tony Montana, Muster 3)
BT21 Line Friends
Ice Cubes in Wine (LOL)
B-Free Dissing Namjoon/Suga as sellouts
BTS Kidnapping Prank
The Ghost Leg

If you have any questions email us at [email protected].

Want to try an audiobook for the bookclub? Don't forget to click here for your free Audible trial: http://www.audibletrial.com/afternoona
*Audible is a sponsor of our sister pod over at Afternoona Delight Podcast*

Want to catch other great BTS content? Visit www.afternoonaarmy.com. Love K-dramas too? Check out our sister podcast www.afternoonadelight.com.

In February 2020, BTS featured on James Corden's Carpool Karaoke - after the Late Late Show host had over a million Twitter requests for the members to be featured in his popular segment. What happened next is history...BTS drove into the hearts of millions of Western viewers and inspired a new generation of memes. Join Tonya, Megan, Alison and Lia in the clown car as we unpack the impact of some of the happiest sixteen minutes of television history.

SHOW NOTES

Colbert - Hand gestures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEFDiQOVL9k 

Colbert - There are many others: search “Colbert BTS” in YouTube

Corden - Carpool Karaoke: https://youtu.be/T4x7sDevVTY

Corden - Crosswalk Concert: https://youtu.be/A8KQhwmdZIw

Corden - Hide & Seek: https://youtu.be/JPS3QC86Jio

Corden - Flinch: https://youtu.be/jLM2ibaRbrk

Corden - Papa Mochi & Baby Mochi Reunited: https://youtu.be/pRl2tawentY

News story about BTS appearance on Carpool Karaoke: https://www.etonline.com/bts-to-appear-on-carpool-karaoke-with-james-corden-141659 

Fallon - Butter: https://youtu.be/dnpC9YaosIY

Fallon - revealing he is Jimin biased: https://youtu.be/W4mmfzFazoI 

Fallon - There are many: search “Jimmy Fallon BTS” in YouTube

O’Brien - “Curtain” name running joke with j-hope: https://youtu.be/h7eNFpz4EZE 

Other English-language talk show appearances to search on YouTube:

Ellen BTS, Graham Norton (BBC)

Jimmy Carr incident: https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/20/australia/nine-bts-apology-intl-hnk/index.html

More of BTS singing in cars! These are fan-made videos:

https://youtu.be/gx8E09d4TxA

https://youtu.be/p061RkBZym0

https://youtu.be/-g6_ZoRuXRA

BTS shaking the stage during Idol: 

https://youtu.be/VKr12E4840Q

https://youtu.be/q9heWaYtu1g

On Kinetic Manifesto MV: https://youtu.be/gwMa6gpoE9I

If you have any questions email us at [email protected].

Want to try an audiobook for the bookclub? Don't forget to click here for your free Audible trial: http://www.audibletrial.com/afternoona
*Audible is a sponsor of our sister pod over at Afternoona Delight Podcast*

Want to catch other great BTS content? Visit www.afternoonaarmy.com. Love K-dramas too? Check out our sister podcast www.afternoonadelight.com.

As part of BTS’s takeover of 2023 fashion, Suga (Min Yoongi)--and his signature blue hunting hat--flew into Paris for Valentino’s latest collection. Min Yoongi was recently announced as Valentino’s latest brand ambassador and Valentino DiVa, attended Valentino’s Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2023 show by designer Pierpaolo Piccioli. Join Tonya, Megan, Lia, and Alison as we dive into the brown blouse, the brouhaha, and yeah...the boobs.

SHOW NOTES

Valentino Le Club Couture Spring 2023 show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAhXyoOcIyI 

Valentino Le Club Couture Spring 2023 USA official website, with the full collection in images: https://www.valentino.com/en-us/collections/valentino-le-club-couture-haute-couture-spring-summer-2023 

Maison Valentino Essentials official USA website: https://www.valentino.com/en-us/experience/maison-valentino-essentials 

Suga Goes Monochrome at the Valentino Haute Couture Spring 2023 Show: Life as a Valentino brand ambassador suits him. https://fashionista.com/2023/01/suga-valentino-haute-couture-spring-2023-paris-fashion-week

BTS’ Suga Fronts ‘Maison Valentino Essentials’ Campaign As New Brand Ambassador https://www.harpersbazaar.com.sg/fashion/bts-suga-fronts-maison-valentino-essentials-campaign-as-new-brand-ambassador/ 

Film recommendation from Tonya: The Great Beauty – official English-language trailer on YouTube: https://youtu.be/avHJvdRPmus 

An IG fan account with comprehensive coverage in their wall posts and reels (there are others): @minsuga.ad

Fashion magazines that had good online coverage of Korean stars at both men’s Paris Fashion Week and Couture Week: WKorea and WKorea Men, GQ and GQ Korea, KDazed Korea, Elle Singapore, Marie Claire Korea, L’Officiel Paris and L’Officiel Thailand, Harper’s Bazaar Hong Kong and Singapore, Vogue, British Vogue, Mint.

BTS is kicking off 2023 in style at the Paris Fashion Week Menswear shows. Newly-minted Dior Ambassador Park Jimin and World-Class Fashionista Jung Hoseok took the City of Lights by storm and we loved to see it. Join Megan and Tonya for a quick dive into the glitter, the glam, and the really really really ridiculously good-looking.

Show Notes:

• Dior Men's Winter 2023-24 show on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6_gmukGV2fc
• LV Men's Fall-Winter 2023-24 show on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4xA2rV1cXpM
• After we recorded, Hobi appeared as a guest at the Hermes show--this is the YouTube broadcast: https://youtu.be/7Rth_LgBA60 
• LV j-hope video (to be aired on LV's YouTube about the same time this episode airs, possibly shortly after: https://youtu.be/BKHYQn7_IF8
• Gala France: @gala.fr
• Hobi fan IG account with fashion week archive in highlights: @jeongmaui

Want to try an audiobook for the bookclub? Don't forget to click here for your free Audible trial: http://www.audibletrial.com/afternoona
*Audible is a sponsor of our sister pod over at Afternoona Delight Podcast*

Want to catch other great BTS content? Visit www.afternoonaarmy.com. Love K-dramas too? Check out our sister podcast www.afternoonadelight.com.

Exploring Namjoon’s world through the books he has read.

Because we love nerdy deep dives around here (and want to keep ourselves booked and busy during enlistments) we thought that for 2023 that we'd read books that Namjoon has enjoyed. Each month we will read a deep dive into a book and then get into discussions about it on our Instagram page (including a group discussion via Instagram live). Our IG handle is: @afternoonaarmy

Here's the book list so you can get planning.

January: Almond by Son Won-pyong

February: Haikyuu Vol. 1 (Manga) 

March: Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

April: Kim JiYoung, Born 1982 by Nam-ju Cho

May: Human Acts by Kang Han

June: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

July: Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

August: Justice by Michael J. Sandel

September: Please Look After Mom by Kyong-Suk Sin 

October: Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

November: Demian by Herman Hesse 

December: The Noonday Demon (An Atlas Of Depression) by Andrew Solomon

If you have any questions email us at [email protected].

Want to try an audiobook for the bookclub? Don't forget to click here for your free Audible trial: http://www.audibletrial.com/afternoona
*Audible is a sponsor of our sister pod over at Afternoona Delight Podcast*

Want to catch other great BTS content? Visit www.afternoonaarmy.com. Love K-dramas too? Check out our sister podcast www.afternoonadelight.com.

BTS Year in Review...it's been a wild ride. From seeing the guys in person, to "that" Festa, to the amazing solos, to the incredible Yoongi glow up, to the start of enlistment. Get into 2022 which has been the highest highs and some painful moments, thirst and deserts, but we're in this Army life through thick and thin.

Want to catch other great BTS content? Visit www.afternoonaarmy.com or find us on Instagram at @afternoonaarmy. Love K-dramas too? Check out our sister podcast www.afternoonadelight.com.

In the second part of their deep dive of K-indie group, The Rose, Tonya and Lea talk about what it was like to wait for a LONG time to get up by the barricade for a live show, and deep dive into their new album HEAL and how being in the Black Rose fandom is different to ARMY.

Want to catch the first part of THE ROSE deep dive or other great BTS content? Visit www.afternoonaarmy.com or find us on Instagram at @afternoonaarmy. Love K-dramas too? Check out our sister podcast www.afternoonadelight.com.

Show Notes:

The Rose Heal Review on Daebak
The Rose on YOUTUBE
The Rose on INSTAGRAM
HEAL on SPOTIFY