[2018] LY Tour in Seoul

The decision to climb the mountain

I had previously only watched the FINAL version of the "Love Yourself" tour during the 2024 FESTA Bang Bang Con, but when I casually took a peek at the São Paulo version the other day, it was surprisingly different...!

So, I felt like I just have to watch them all...
Since it's summer vacation, it's nice to try and overcome a big mountain! I might not be able to make it back down, though lol

BTS World Tour: Love Yourself in Seoul

Among the world tours BTS has held, the "Love Yourself World Tour" boasts the longest duration, spanning over 400 days in total (including the additional "Speak Yourself World Tour" performances).

※ If you want to know the tour overview, please go to "World Tour Summary" from the "Related Articles" in the table of contents.

Thanks to the long duration, there is an abundance of performance footage. There are two LONDON versions, so I was confused at first ( ;∀;)
By the way, LY is the O2 Arena, and SY is Wembley.
It seems the Wembley performance was also released in theaters, and there is one piece of video information with a different name, but it is unclear how it differs from the SY London version.

※ When I searched, this performance was also released in theaters under the name "Love Yourself in Seoul". The movie version has a runtime of 113 minutes, but the video version is 160 minutes long, so I'm curious about what was cut and how. At 113 minutes, I think it would only be about halfway through "Mic Drop".

By the way, the American F9 team joined the production for this massive tour, and they apparently worked incredibly hard to fulfill the request for an "American pop concert atmosphere." This book was interesting...!

Performance Overview

Setlist

Impressions

The opening VCR features everyone appearing in black jackets decorated with gold trim. In Takarazuka, this outfit is for aCrown Prince. It's perfect if it comes with a cape and knee-high boots.
Except for J-Hope, everyone has light-colored hair, which doubles the sparkle. Since their eyebrows are black, the mix of the sweetness of the hair and the dignity of their faces is also great! This time, many of them are wearing long, dangling earrings, which is my favorite~💜

The pink-haired Jungkook and V are super cute in their Crown Prince outfits for "IDOL." You could build a massive empire with this!

Jimin says, "This is the first time we've played such a big stage."
This was the first Seoul Olympic Stadium performance, when the audience size doubled!
Since "LOVE YOURSELF 結 'ANSWER'" had just been released and the LY series was completed, the tour started in a festival state with a perfect number of songs 💜

From the kneeling position in 'Save Me' to 'I'm Fine'. This opening always amazes me.
It's the first time I've seen a song start with a bridge from a solo singer. It's interesting how SOPE acts as the foundation to support V, creating a composition that is the reverse of 'I NEED YOU', which really hits home!

I love the scene where J-Hope pulls the members up one by one!

Considering this is an outdoor concert at the end of August (it's a stadium, but the roof is open) and a long tour, there are frequent comment breaks between songs.
After moving around freely, they go into 'Magic Shop', followed by a VCR. It's the one focusing on J-Hope and Jungkook. It's full of that 'older brother and the little brother who has grown up' vibe. Yeontan is in it too, so cute~💜

Taking over after the video is J-Hope's 'Trivia 起: Just Dance'!
The dance leader in a white suit dances and sings on the arm of a rising lift.
Living up to the trust that he can instantly raise the heat of the venue, by the time J-Hope reaches the special stage in the center of the audience, the venue is filled with screams.

And then 'Euphoria' rings out. The venue, which was hyped up with clapping, watches Jungkook's stage with bated breath. The sense of liberation during the high-note explosion is incredible.
He was flying in the air during the FINAL, but since this was outdoors, he stayed on the ground. I wonder when the first flight was? (*´艸｀)

The members appear in white outfits for 'I Need U'!
RM is wearing a thick, sparkly choker, which hits my 'I love big dogs' soft spot. They are moving around freely during this song, and since he's next to Jin, who has a prince-like look, he looks even more like a guard dog.

By the time it leads into 'RUN', the sun has completely set, and the ARMY Bombs shine even brighter. The sight of BTS in their white costumes emerging there is the best. Even the red of the sunset remaining in the sky is dramatic and beautiful.
The cheers that rise with the exploding water cannons—this is what a summer live concert is all about!

A MiniMoni VCR where they bring out lemons and give off such an idol vibe. The belly button... Jimin's belly button is... (I seem to have seen something).
I think I will remember RM's hairstyle at this time (blonde, thick bangs with waves) as 'Edgar RM' for the rest of my life.

'Serendipity', I was blown away by the visuals from the very start. Oh, this is my first time seeing Jimin in this outfit. Dozens of silver chains are connected, forming something like a bodice, and they ripple and sparkle every time he dances.
There is a touch of perversion... no, what is it, a sense of personal taste that drifts through the splendor, which is wonderful. Only Jimin could pull off something like this and still maintain a sense of purity...
Who is the stylist who found this? Are you a god?

The colors of the ARMY Bombs that appear from time to time are unified, and I get the feeling that the ARMY Bomb synchronization, which became possible from the Wings tour, is being incorporated into the production. Nice!

RM's 'LOVE'!
I heard he said he didn't need any large-scale equipment because he wanted to do it freely, and in fact, the stage works just by him walking around the venue and doing a 'Sarang, Sarang, Sarang!' call-and-response with the audience. Charisma...!
Thank you for the finger heart after 'You know I love you!' (*´艸｀)

Joining the members for 'DNA'. When Jungkook and V, who have the same pink hair and look like twins, get close, the visuals are the strongest!
After his solo part, Jin stands still with one hand slightly raised, and it's unusually cute (around 58:00). Calling all Jin fans!!

During the part where the vocal line overlaps in a line while singing one by one, Jungkook and V are laughing, so I looked for a FanCam because I was curious about the reason.
I don't know the details, but I was satisfied to find out that Jungkook and V made eye contact and laughed. It's shown for a split second in the main video, but it was too fast to tell lol.

V says, 'I've hidden a message for ARMY somewhere in the venue!', and everyone is looking for it.
Jin telling them the answer, 'ARMY, it's here, here! It's the ARMY Bomb you're holding', while spinning around, is terrifyingly cunning and cute. As expected of the eldest brother, he doesn't lose to his younger brothers.
J-Hope tells him, 'You have a fairy-like atmosphere for the first time in a while'.
He's probably referring to when he did the ARMY Bomb fairy at the 4th Muster. I only know the episode and haven't seen it, so I have to watch it again...!

The light text "BTS💜ARMY" emerges along with the countdown. Wow!
If the Olympics were held in Korea, wouldn't it be great to use ARMY bombs for the opening event instead of human formations? Actually, I feel like this could realistically happen.

Bangtan circles the venue while singing classic songs in a medley (Boyz with Fun, Attack on Bangtan, Fire, Silver Spoon, Dope).
Taehyung is sitting with one knee up like he's saying "jump, jump," and Jungkook is resting his foot on it and doing a light jump. So cute ( ;∀;)
Namjoon leads the pelvic thrusts in "Silver Spoon / Baepsae," and the venue heats up. Returning to the main stage to dance wildly with the backup dancers for "Dope" is a masterpiece!

Stages that use many backup dancers are difficult in terms of choreography and production, but since you can't do it without first investing funds to secure people and practice space, the sense of leveling up comes across directly. They've really made it...!

After the piano solo washes away the frenzy, the first-ever performance of "Airplane Pt.2"!
I love this song, and I think the NamJin duo is the best, especially during the performance using stand microphones!
Namjoon's part, which is like a towering rocky mountain, Jin's "Still" which is like a blowing wind, and the microphone moving between the two like a rolling stone—it's the best.
Speaking of microphones, the crossed microphones by Suga and Jimin are also great!

The composition of Namjoon singing while holding the mic and standing on a chair, with the members dancing as if to praise him, is something I want to name the lineage of Namjoon's reign, which also connects to "Dionysus."

Hobi dancing with pink-haired Jungkook and Taehyung is as great as ever, but it seems there was no scene where he tapped Taehyung's butt. I was so curious that I went to check the Hobi-focused FanCam lol.
From what I can tell by searching, I feel like FanCam videos have been increasing since around this time. I think the number of spectators simply increased, and the pool of people posting them expanded.

Taehyung's VCR, the roundness of his cheeks is youthful and cute ( *´艸｀)
And "Singularity," which I've seen to death lol.
I'm just mesmerized by the continuous combo of the dance that visualizes the sound, the deep, breathy singing voice, and the surprisingly beautiful fingers and profile.

"FAKE LOVE" with everyone together. Even though everything except the main audio was turned down for the video, you can still feel how incredible the cheers were. Bondage boys in all-black outfits with harnesses are dangerous...
I accidentally paused when Jungkook rolled up his shirt and there was a belt wrapped around his waist. Wait, is that a supporter?

From the mysterious masked hooded group to the SIN VCR, then SUGA lying on the sofa for "Trivia 轉 : Seesaw." In the FINAL version, he raised his idol level with a sheer knit, which blew my mind, but in the Seoul version, he's still in a suit.
I'm a late-coming fan, so I've been watching SUGA dance from the beginning, but it seems it was shocking at the time, as it was even written in the director's book that they "couldn't believe their eyes" lol.

"Epiphany" while playing the piano. His face is so strong that he can wear a bizarre... no, a unique jacket with many small rose corsages sewn onto it without any sense of discomfort. The sight of blonde Seokjin with his forehead exposed singing this song with all his might, eyes fixed and looking down on his surroundings, is unparalleled beauty.

Like falling diamond dust, and like shining wings, the production surrounding Jin is very beautiful and moving. Jin fans must see this!
The way the clouds in the background turn into wings was apparently done with "Awake" in mind by the production team. It's precious that everyone wants to give Jin wings...!

The maknae line rises up behind the standing Jin for the vocal line's"The Truth Untold". The moment it came out, it was like victory was already decided; in mahjong terms, it's a Tenhou.
Everyone is decorated with flowers, frills, and drapes, and it's a huge deal. My heart is very noisy.

By the way, I love the wrinkles between the eyebrows, so I watch their faces very closely when they sing, but doesn't Jimin have very few wrinkles?
Jin is distinctive, isn't he? It seems that when he puts all his effort into hitting high notes, he puts strength around his right eye, and he often squints not just between his eyebrows but also one eye, gathering wrinkles under the inner corner of his eye.

The opposite of this is Jimin, who seems to put strength into opening his forehead and the front of his face, so I don't see him gathering wrinkles clearly very often. I'm interested and watching to see if his expressions will change as his singing style evolves.
Oh, there's also the difference that Jin tends to fold his body when shouting high notes, while Jimin tends to lean back.

Next is"Outro: Tear" with a rare color scheme of a green background, white outfits, and fire!
The venue is filled with words and intensity. I'm overwhelmed by the energy, which is hard to believe comes from only three performers!

The legendary "Mic Drop." This song has the power to make people go wild!
Jungkook and Taehyung sandwiching Hobi-hyung look like A-un guardian dogs with their synchronized appearance. I laugh at the huge gap in pitch when the singing passes from Jimin to Jin lol.
At the end, SUGA with a refreshing smile spins, throws his mic away, and points to the sky with that hand—it's very good ( *´艸｀)

After a VCR, my favorite "So What"!
Well, I add "favorite" to everything, but that's just the age I'm at where I want to say it.
I like the part at the end where the other six members happily surround Jimin, who is acting cool in his solo. I'd tremble if Hobi-hyung checked my cool face at close range lol.

During "Anpanman," while white-beret Taehyung is doing his opening solo, the maknae grabs the hem of his clothes and flaps it, recreating a cape ( ﾟДﾟ) CUTE
Everyone is cute in this song, but my eyes were glued to Yoongi, who was laughing and dancing behind the maknae. The multi-shot fireworks look like a waterfall flowing backward, which is amazing!

Photo session and a segment for comments on the Olympic Stadium performance.
The eldest brother, who was laughing at Jimin's comment overflowing with gratitude for ARMY, suddenly sends a flying kiss with a straight face the moment the camera hits him—it's bad for my heart lol

Oh, is it this episode! V started saying, "Do you know the meaning of purple?"!!

The youngest seems unsatisfied with his own performance and is holding a one-man reflection meeting. Suga immediately goes to sprinkle sugar on him, saying, "It was 102 points out of 100!"
I still wonder, "Did Suga ever really have a cold phase?"... It feels like he's always in a doting-on-his-grandson phase...

While following up by saying everyone has regrets, J-Hope turns a knowing smile to the ARMY who raised their voices,
"Haha, it's a shame the concert is ending, isn't it, everyone?"
It's sinful how J-Hope knows exactly what he's doing. He knows how to steal hearts...!

Oh, is it this episode! The one where RM said, "Everyone, let's hug," and Jungkook was the first to jump in and look happy, the eldest brother was second, spreading preciousness, and despite the commotion, Suga easily took third place!! (long)

Taking this opportunity, V hugs Suga and pats Jin's butt.
Jimin is funny, going around hugging saying "Taehyung-ah! Let's hug!" and "Jungkook-ah!", only to be pulled back by J-Hope because RM hasn't finished his comment yet lol
The hug fairy going in for a hug with the momentum of putting all his weight into it, and the bear accepting it without a care, it's cute... (dying)

In RM's case, I feel like if he just let go of a little shyness, everyone would hug him as much as he wanted. Especially the youngest. The way he responds to his beloved Rapmon-hyung with such intensity is so straightforward and lovely.

The last one is "Answer: Love Myself"!
Yes, the tone! (raises hand) The 95-liners are arm-in-arm, bumping fists and laughing, and after harmonizing with all their might on the shout part, they are high-fiving with great joy!
Ah, just watching this releases happy hormones 💜

After finishing the song, while everyone is waving to ARMY, V reaches out both hands to RM and goes to hug him. Was it not enough... ( ﾟДﾟ)

On the moving vehicle, Jimin goes to put his arm around J-Hope's shoulder,
"Oh? (You're close)" "Oh? (You don't like it?)"
They are having a conversation through facial expressions with eye contact like that.

The end is the usual rehearsal scene & saying goodbye with "Magic Shop".
Bangtan's practice scene where they look a bit younger without makeup is nice. Just as I was swooning over J-Hope's serious gaze, RM almost misses catching the mic for "Airplane Pt.2", and Jikook is doing a mysterious half-handstand, so I can't stop hitting pause. It never ends...

Series Articles

Related Articles