Some BTS fans are not happy about Big Hit's decision.
Recently, a BTS Universe-based drama titled, "Youth" is announced to be airing this 2021, introducing seven fresh and rookie actors who will portray the main characters. The project will be established by Big Hit Entertainment in partnership with drama production company Chorokbaem Media.
Though there will be no BTS member who will star in the drama, the real name of the K-pop idols will be used, which resulted in tremendous appeal and demand from fans of BTS to change their names into fictitious characters.
In particular, "Youth" is based on BTS Universe (BU) where BTS played as themselves and portrayed seven fictional stories and identities. The concept and storylines were even used in games such as "BTS Universe story" and in Webtoons including, "Save Me" due to success.
Though BU became a significant part of BTS and ARMYs (their fandom) lives, several people including the general public are not familiar with it.
On October 19 then, the cast lineup was finally revealed composing of Seo Ji Hoon as Jin, Noh Jong Hyun as Yoongi, Ahn Ji Ho as J-Hope, Seo Yeong Ju as Namjoon, Kim Yoon Woo as Jimin, Jung Woo Jin as Taehyung or V, and Jung Jin Seo as Jungkook.
Though the rookies initially received positive remarks upon announcement, some fans, particularly Korean ARMYs expressed their anger over the use of BTS real names for the main characters.
In the story, the characters named Jin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Namjoon, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook are youth who go through traumatic and tragic events. It then concerned ARMYs that people will watch it only because it is somehow related to BTS when the idols will not be playing any roles in the drama.
In addition to this, netizens especially non-K-pop fans may misunderstand or confuse the drama to be showing BTS real-life stories when everything was only fictitious.
Fans are also worried that this might become a tool for haters and anti-fans of BTS to slander the name of the K-pop idols, bringing chaos or mixing up the drama's characters and the idols. As the fictional characters undergo unfortunate events including violence, suicide, etc. it may affect BTS negatively.
Due to this, the fandom released a statement which claimed that the drama stepped on human rights, and called it out for not treating the idols as humans but are only a form to make-money; thus, to protect their human rights and prevent defamation, the fandom demanded to cancel the production.
Based on Korea JoongAng Daily, the fandom conveyed that Big Hit Entertainment is creating something that could possibly tarnish the long-time hard work of BTS by associating their names into brutal and dark stories.
However, according to Big Hit Entertainment, all of the inquiries and concerns shall be addressed to the production company instead, which is Choraeokbaem. However, on Wednesday, the official of the company only said that there's still no official decision regarding the matter.
