Yayaaaay! It’s December 4th in Korea which means it’s BTS’s Jin’s birthday!
As with every other member’s birthday, the boys posted videos and tweets on their official Twitter account of them surprising Jin with a birthday cake. Suga posted a funny tweet saying:
Happy birthday to our eldest hyung Jin #It’sSuga #HyungIsNow27 #I’m26 #HeukHeuk* #We’reInOurLateTwenties #HappyBirthday #IDon’tWannaGetOlder #FightingToOurExistence
I swear, Suga has the funniest posts ever. He might not seem like a funny guy but he actually is and the fact that he doesn’t even try or shows it either is what makes it all even that much funnier.
But anyways, this post will be another appreciation post but this time for Jin. I’ve done appreciation posts in the past for BTS as a group and then for Jimin my bias (okay so I went back to look at appreciation posts and apparently I also wrote one for Jungkook which I do not remember haha), but I wanted to do appreciation posts for all the members. Although Jimin’s my bias in the group, I love all the members so much and have so much respect and admiration for each of them.
Jin stood out to me when I first watched the ‘No More Dream’ MV because well… he is the visuals of BTS and he’s known for his good looks (among many things). He and Jimin stood out to me the most in that music video and I was actually debating between the two when it came down to choosing my bias, but ultimately chose Jimin in the end (sorry Jin). BUTTTT that doesn’t mean that I don’t like Jin or anything because I do and I have so much (hidden) love for him that I sometimes do not show enough which I am shameful about which is why I’m writing this appreciation post.
There are many things that I love about Jin (his sometimes funny-not-so-funny dad jokes or how he invented blowing kisses or his Eat Jin series), but I think the thing about him that I love the most is just how caring and nice he is as the eldest member of BTS. He’s actually the youngest in his family so for him to have gone from having only known what it was like to be the Maknae his entire life to being the Hyung for 6 other boys is what I find so admirable about him. While Jin might be more known for being that funny member with the good looks and the sometimes funny dad jokes and the guy who always goes above and beyond to show his appreciation for ARMY’s, at the very end of the day I see Jin as the reliable, free-spirited, kind, and caring eldest. I never forget that about him because I think his role as the eldest in BTS is so pivotal and important to the group as a whole and how they function. Yes, he’s the vocalist and yes he’s the visuals and yes he’s a member, but he is also the oldest member in BTS and takes great care of the 6 boys who are younger than him. I know there must have been pressure on Jin as the eldest and he probably struggled at first with the responsibilities of taking care of the members since he’s the oldest, but I think this is a role that he’s accepted and has easily adjusted to over time. He cooks for the members, he drives them places, he takes them places, he does things for them, he makes them laugh, he makes the members happy, he’s someone that they can rely on and go to when they need support or need someone to talk to. I know I’ve been talking a lot about how he’s the oldest in BTS, but I personally believe that this is a role that Jin takes on that is not emphasized upon enough in the fandom and I really want to highlight just how crucial he is to the team and all his contributions to BTS.
Jin is the type who cares more about how others feel and therefore does whatever it is he can do to make them happy. He mentioned in Bon Voyage Season 2 how he’s happy as long as he can make others happy and while I’m glad that he’s thoughtful and kind, a part of me is also worried. I don’t want Jin to just be making others happy, I want him himself to be happy. I want him to find ways where he can make himself happy because that’s what he absolutely deserves. I was a bit worried when I saw that part in the show because I’m afraid that in the process of making others happy, he’s neglecting himself and is forgetting to take care of himself. I’m afraid that he’s only worried about making others happy that he’ll sacrifice his happiness for others and I don’t want him to be in that kind of situation. It’s not healthy and it could lead to one’s own burn-out or dissatisfaction in life so while I’m grateful that Jin is such a thoughtful person and cares about how others feel, I hope he can also put himself first and think about what it is that he wants. I trust that Jin is practicing this though because he’s a smart, mature, and independent man who knows what he wants and is confident in his own skin. I’m not too worried about Jin, but at the same time I just want him to be to happy and I hope he’s not sacrificing his happiness so he can make others happy. I ultimately hope that Jin can make both himself happy and others happy as well.
(LOOK AT HIM GETTING ALL SHY AND CUTE AFTER FANS KEPT ON CALLING HIM HANDSOME. He talks about being handsome so confidently but is actually really shy in real life om f g he is too cute).
When I think of Jin, a part of me also feels very sad. A part of me hurts and cries inside. I’m sad that he’s not receiving the type of love and treatment that he should be getting or that he deserves. I’m heart-broken that he doesn’t receive as much lines as the other members in their songs. I’m sad that he doesn’t receive as much screen time as others in their MV’s. I’m sad that some neglect him and care about the other members more than they do about him. I’m sad knowing that he could have done so much more and maybe hit so much more potential had he signed with SM Entertainment or if he had not chosen to be an idol. I don’t know. There’s so many possibilities out there and I’m just sad that Jin continues to remain in the shadows of others and that he’s sometimes forgotten by others (like how Jin wasn’t in the ‘Come Back Home’ banner on the CJENMMUSIC Youtube account). I’m sad that his treatment by Big Hit isn’t the best and that he wasn’t able to attend his university graduation ceremony that he worked to earn a degree at or that his lyrics for ‘Awake’ got rejected 20 times before finally getting accepted. For the happiness and joy and hard work that he puts into everything he does, Jin does not deserve this. He should be getting more lines and screen time as a member of BTS, he should be getting roles in different movies and dramas to put his acting major into good use, he should just be doing more in general. He has so much potential, but all that potential is being wasted and it makes me upset and sad. I want to being see more of him. I’m tired of him being in the back. Give Jin the love and treatment he deserves.
Moving on from all the pessimistic and negative outlook in regards to Jin though (I get very passionate about this so let’s not talk about it hahaha), the guy has so much talent and love for others that should not go unnoticed. He’s so funny and says some of the funniest things ever. Sometimes his dad jokes can get out of hand, but the fact that he laughs at them and thinks they’re funny anyways is what make me love him so much more. He takes great care of the other members and always does things for them. He always goes above and beyond to show love for us fans and thanks us at all times whenever he can. Something about him that I will never forget are his messages to fans and his encouraging words to those who might be going through hard times or problems. Maybe it’s because it’s something he (and the rest of the BTS members) are going through that he gives such wise and amazing advice, but I will never forget the message he voiced when he talked about how we should never compare ourselves to other people. In his message, he mentioned the importance of validating ourselves, our experiences, and our stories, and the fact that just because others are going through hard times does not mean that our struggles are any less important. In my other appreciation post for BTS in celebration of their 4th anniversary, I kind of spoke about this a little bit and in my message to Jin, I wrote:
i remember the one time where you mentioned about how it’s okay to be going through things and that you should never compare yourself to others; that just b/c someone else might also be going through things (things that are worse than yours) doesn’t mean that yours is any less significant or valid and that’s stuck out to me ever since i’ve watched that video. i live my life by that rule. since i’ve been in college i’ve practiced and emphasized on the importance of that — never invalidate yourself or your experiences. never compare yourself and your stories and experiences to anyone else’s. never think that just b/c someone else is going through rough or rougher times than you are that your issues and problems are invalid or that they don’t matter. b/c they do matter and you matter as well. so when you said that in the video, my love and appreciation for you grew so much more than it already had. in that moment i learned that you too understand this concept of validating your own experiences and existence and it meant so much to me b/c all my life i’ve always heard people tell me that i should place others before myself or ive’ heard people compare their hardships to mine and invalidate how i feel b/c they’ve gone through much worse or had it much worse than i did which made me feel bad and caused me to internalize so much negativity and perpetuate the cycle that i should always place others before me and the toxic thoughts that i dont’ matter or that i’m not going through anything difficult or challenging so i shouldn’t complain or i should just try harder. so kim seokjin, i’d like to thank you for the positive messages and words of encouragement that you continually give. they mean so much. although this one message is just one of the many wonderful messages you have given and you probably don’t even remember saying it, i still do and it honestly means the world to me to have heard from you a motto and concept that i live by and follow every single day. so thank you and thank you.
I used to invalidate myself and my thoughts just because I knew or I saw that other folks were going through worse than I was. I used to put down my struggles and obstacles in life and always compare myself to others. I used to think that my problems weren’t anything worth complaining about because others were going through much worse out there. But the moment I read that message from Jin, my heart felt so liberated and I felt content for once. It wasn’t until I got to college that I understood this concept of validating one’s self and to never compare your experiences and struggles to others so when Jin basically talked about this message, it made me so happy. It was a life-changing moment for me and my love for Jin grew a million more times than it already was.
To wrap this post up, I hope Jin has a great birthday and spends it wonderfully with his family, friends, staff, and the BTS members. Whereas he’s always been occupied on other days making others happy and making them laugh, I hope that he takes the time to enjoy his special day and do what it is that makes himself happy.
Happy Birthday Seokjin! You’re my absolute favorite. Thank you for all the good laughs, good jokes, good vibes, encouraging messages, and good memories. I hope to see you again in 2018 and I hope you have a great birthday. That’s what you absolutely deserve. Make this day your day and make it a special one my love.
*Here are some extra photos of Jin uploaded on the BTS’s official Facebook account in celebration of his birthday. I just could not NOT post these photos so here they are!
Source: Why Kookie @ youtube, BTS official FB page
MaryMeKpop 