BTS In the Soop
Between everyday life and rest.
Hybe 360 / Hybe Corporation · via Wikipedia: BTS In the Soop · Fair use
BTS In the Soop (stylized as BTS In the SOOP, Korean: 인더숲 BTS편) is a South Korean reality series starring the boy band BTS, produced by Big Hit Entertainment and Big Hit Three Sixty. The first season, consisting of eight episodes, debuted on August 19, 2020, on the pay TV network JTBC and the online platform Weverse. In it, the group escapes their hectic city life for a week at a secluded forest location, where they unwind and pursue various pastimes. A second season, produced by Hybe 360, launched on October 15, 2021, and shows the band spending four days at a private mountain villa.
The show’s premise centers on BTS taking a break from their urban routines to head to a calm, remote forest setting—the Korean word *soop* means "forest"—for relaxation. The tagline, "between everyday life and rest," is woven throughout, as the members follow no fixed schedules and freely take up indoor and outdoor hobbies, either together or alone. They can do things they previously avoided because they didn’t want to take time off, or couldn’t do due to being too busy, with minimal interference from the production crew.
The cast includes RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook as themselves, with Bam (Jungkook’s dog) appearing in season two.
For season one, video-on-demand preorders opened on August 4, 2020, through the Weverse Shop app, priced at ₩35,000 (US$27.99), and ran until August 19. A free exclusive photo card set was included as a preorder bonus. The first episode aired on JTBC at 11 pm KST on August 19. New episodes—eight total, each 60 minutes long—aired every Wednesday at that time, and were available an hour later on Weverse as subscription-based paid content with an extended runtime of 80 minutes. Additional 10-minute behind-the-scenes clips from each episode were uploaded to Weverse every following Tuesday at 9 pm KST.
Season two was announced on September 1, 2021. VOD preorders ran from September 23 to October 5 (early-bird) and October 6 to 15 (general), at the same price as season one, with different bonuses for each period. The season premiered on October 15 at 9 pm KST on JTBC and 10 pm KST on Weverse, with new episodes every Friday. The TV version had four episodes, ending on November 5. The Weverse version included an exclusive fifth episode on November 12, and behind-the-scenes footage was released as a sixth episode on November 19.
- First season premiere
- August 19, 2020
- Network
- JTBC and Weverse
- Number of episodes (season 1)
- 8
- Number of episodes (season 2, tv)
- 4
- Number of episodes (season 2, weverse)
- 5
- Production companies
- Big Hit Entertainment, Big Hit Three Sixty, Hybe 360
- Genre
- Reality series
Lore & Background
The show's concept revolves around BTS taking a break from their busy lives in the city and heading to a more peaceful, remote forest location—the Korean word soop means 'forest'—for a period of relaxation. The band members follow no structured schedules while there and freely pursue various indoor and outdoor hobbies together and on their own. They are able to do 'things they didn't do because they didn't want to take the time off', or 'couldn't do because they [were] too busy', with minimal interference from or interaction with the production staff. The cast includes all seven BTS members—RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—as themselves, with Jungkook's dog Bam appearing in season 2.
Reader's Guide
BTS In the Soop is a reality series that offers a relaxed, unscripted view of the K-pop group BTS during a break from their demanding schedules. The first season was filmed at a private lakeside property in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, featuring multiple houses and outdoor amenities. The second season was produced on a larger scale at a purchased property in Pyeongchang County, Gangwon-do, with extensive remodeling and new facilities including a tennis court and outdoor pool. The series received positive reception from critics, with Dakota Kim of the Los Angeles Times calling it a 'surprise' that reveals another side of the band, and Claire P. Dodson of Teen Vogue describing it as 'an extremely relaxing experience'. According to Twitter's year-end review, it was the eighth most-tweeted about show globally of 2021. The series also spawned spin-offs featuring other K-pop groups and celebrity friends.
Did You Know?
- The first season was filmed at a private lakeside property known as Lake 192, which won the 'Korea Architecture Prize' for its modern design.
- The production staff installed a large saltwater fish tank with flatfish and provided a 4 hp engine fishing boat for the first season.
- For season 2, Hybe purchased an undisclosed acreage of land in Pyeongchang County for ₩1.295 billion and spent a year remodeling it.
- The series was the eighth most-tweeted about show globally in 2021 according to Twitter's year-end review.
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