달려라 방탄
When I first started exploring the world of BTS, what amazed me was the sheer amount of content available to watch and listen to. In addition to their variety show Run! BTS (2015-present) there's Bon Voyage, In the Soop, the BTS WORLD mobile game, and they also regularly do VLIVE shows. Even after announcing earlier this year that they would be focusing more on solo activities, they've still done so much as a group. I thought I’d compile a list of my favourite Run BTS! episodes. I honestly forgot how many there were, every time I thought of one I loved it would remind me of another one so it became very challenging to narrow it down, but these are my top picks!
23. Episode 89 (2019)
Guessing Choreography and Lyrics🕺🏻🎶❓
I just love the moment where Jimin falls off his chair, so Jungkook goes over to help him up but trips over him and joins him on the floor. It's like a scene from a slapstick comedy except it's real. Jin's laugh makes it even funnier.
22. Episode 131 (2021)
77-Minute Debate 🌊
I applaud the editors of this show 👏🏼 the subtitles, visual effects and music choices make these episodes even more entertaining than they already are. I ranked this one low because I feel bad for them getting soaked!
21. Episode 140-141 (2021)
BTS Collaboration Variety Show ✨
This is the first video I watched of BTS, so I had to include it! For years, I was aware of who they were and the K-pop phenomenon as a whole, but didn't know what any of them looked like except for Jimin (this unfortunately was partly due to the whole Oli London situation but we won't get into that today).
This is the iconic episode where Hobi calls Conan O'Brien "Curtain". There are loads of great moments, like Jin accidentally calling Yoongi "Min ah" (Min is his last name) and Jungkook's kangaroo impression.
Hobi and Conan's wholesome Twitter interaction.
I would have loved to see Conan interview BTS because he's an interesting, intelligent host who takes a genuine interest in the people he's interviewing. He immerses himself in cultures, you can see this from the travel segment on his show. He is also quite popular in South Korea, and visited in 2016 with the actor Steven Yeun. Conan and Steven even made a song and music video with JYP, Wonder Girls and TWICE, which was completely surreal.
20. Episode 99 (2020)
Flower Shop 🌸🌼💐
I thought the orange flowers were carrots the first time I saw this 🥕 as funny as it is, it actually looks good with Jin's purple hair! You can always count on him to lighten the atmosphere and make everyone laugh.
19. Episode 35 (2017)
Taste of Korea 🇰🇷
The bit with Yoongi's hand puppet makes me laugh every time I see it. I also love when RM pretends to burn his hand (sounds strange out of context). Also, the moment where he gets told off by Jin when he misunderstands the instructions and dices the onion 🧅🔪 but reassures him that it's okay cause he still has the other half 👍🏼
18. Episode 112 (2020)
Dalbang School 🏫
I love Jin's role as the teacher in this one. Also love that the partners consist of the Daegu boys, Busan boys and 94 liners 💘 the bit where Tae insists on carrying Yoongi on his back is so funny.
17. Episode 38 (2017)
Yoongi dressed as Chimmy, Jimin's character 💛
Another entertaining episode, and Yoongi looks super cute as Chimmy 🐶🌟
16. Episode 43 (2018)
Satisfaction of 5 Senses 👀👃🏼👂🏼
RM is shook
No one knows BTS better than they know each other. In this episode, their 5 senses are put to the test. This video is one of many which shows how close they are. Yoongi wore another cute costume, this time he's representing RJ 🦙
15. Episode 29 (2017)
Fashion Show 🧢👚🧦
BTS are given the task of being each other's stylists for the day. Jin makes it his goal to be the one who dresses Hobi because he is the least interested in fashion, whereas Hobi is a style guru. The result is incredible, somehow Hobi still pulls off Jin’s all-pink, layered look. Yoongi’s look is my favourite, styled by Jungkook. My second favourite Is Jimin, styled by Yoongi.
14. Episode 65 (2019)
BTS School 📝
This is one of the funniest episodes in my opinion. Poor Hobi’s forbidden word was “Uh?” and his forbidden action was laughing. So cruel, but so funny. Jin's laugh gives me life. I love the mint chocolate ice cream debate (I'm with RM and Jin, I think it's rank 😅).
13. Episode 97 (2020)
Pyjama Party 😴
The great thing about watching BTS is that you're just watching a group of friends having fun. They all have an amazing bond, despite there being 7 of them. I think that's pretty rare to see, and is one of the main reasons for their meteroic rise and lasting power in the industry. Them playing the Animal Kingdom game is one of the most chaotic things I have ever witnessed 😅
12. Episode 15 (2017)
"I see" game 💬
I love this episode. The maknae line 막내 (the word 'maknae' refers to the youngest member or members of a group of individuals) and the hyung line 형 compete in this game. A member from each team goes up against their opponent, they hold hands and express something that has been annoying them about the other person to their face. Instead of retaliating or getting angry, the person on the receiving end must reply with "I see" and then they can also make a complaint. Hobi's complaint to Jungkook was that he would randomly walk in when he was showering and go "Yeahhhh" and then leave his unwashed cereal bowl in his room (a reasonable complaint). Namjoon's issue with Tae was that he would noisily play games until 5am, and watch dramas on his phone with the volume turned up high. Tae accepted this was a fair criticism and they hugged it out.
Jin confessed to Jimin that he laid in his bed when he wasn't home and rubbed his unwashed hair on his pillow. Jimin's response to this was that he had actually sat on Jin's bed while wearing dirty clothes. Jin was visibly annoyed by this (in a funny way) and decided to attack Jimin's height. In response, Jimin made fun of Jin's legs because he apparently has the shortest legs in BTS. Suga, who was the MC in this episode, interjected and confirmed that they had all had their legs measured lmao. Jin made a mean comment about Jimin's weight (he said "Jimin whenever you ask me if you put on weight, I really want to say you look like a pig!"). You could tell he felt bad and apologised immediately afterwards, and Jimin said he wasn't offended. The hyung team took the victory.
11. Episode 11 (2017)
Min Yoonji 💁🏻♀️
Jin's expression here kills me every time 💀 also Hobi's "crying" scene, Oscar worthy tbh
In this acting challenge episode, we meet Yoongi’s female alter ego, a transfer student called Yoonji. I almost forget that it’s Yoongi playing a character because that’s how convincing he is lmao. The male students try to impress Yoonji, but she's a savage queen. I love the reference to TWICE's song TT.
10. Episode 143 (2021)
Books 📚✍🏼
BTS become authors of childrens' books in this episode, and what we discover is that Jin is realllllly good at coming up with ideas! I love this episode, it's full of laughs and wholesome moments. Jungkook does some great illustrations 🎨 I also loved Tae and Hobi's fairy character Ppeu Ppeu, as well as Jimin and RM's story about the sad cloud. Yoongi's narration is a great touch.
9. Episode 70 (2019)
BTS in Toronto 🇨🇦
It's always fun seeing BTS in a different environment, in this episode they're in Toronto. I love the part where they go shopping and Jungkook pays, where they're choosing rooms, and Jungkook says to Jin he's going to the same room as him (they did in fact end up in the same room). Amazingly, the vocal line end up sharing a room and the rap line share a room. There are lots of cute moments 🤗 I go back to this episode a lot and always see it in compilation videos.
8. Episode 41 (2017)
Carbonara. Tony Montana? Lachimolala? 🐥🎧
This episode was the origin of some classic memes. I had seen this game being played on YouTube before, but it's a whole other level of entertaining when BTS are involved. Somehow the word 'Carbonara' changed to 'Lachimolala' and then back to 'Carbonara'.
7. Special Episode - Telepathy Part 1 and Part 2 (2022)
A two-parter which which put BTS' telepathy to the test 🤯 (it's kind of perfect that this ended up being number 7, since it's about their compatibility as 7 friends).
The most recent Run BTS! episode came out in August this year, which was a welcome surprise following the announcement that BTS would be taking some time to focus predominantly on solo projects. BTS have talked about how they lived together for so long that they could identify each other just by the sound of their breathing. On a radio show, Yoongi talked about how he was once in a toilet cubicle and Hobi came into the room without knowing he was there, and said "Suga hyung?". In this episode, they were split up and asked to choose a nostalgic location that they thought other members would also go to. I don't know why the frog masks were so funny, they just were 🐸 the subtitles made it even more amusing: "Are we filming American Hustle Life 2?" [terrified seven frogs]" 😭
One of the most endearing moments from this episode was when Jin and Tae met at the old dorms where BTS lived together during trainee days, then Jimin appeared, laughing with glee and greeted them with a hug (like they weren't with each other just a few moments before this 🥲). Then Namjoon got out of his car and joined them! At this point, I was convinced that BTS' brains were so synced up that all 7 would turn up at the same destination. However, Hobi and Yoongi turned up to different places.
When Yoongi saw Hobi from his car window, he got really excited and it was super cute 😇 he opened his window and called out: "친구 아!" ('chingu ah!= my friend!). I also loved the scene with Jin and Tae in the restaurant, and Jimin and RM chatting about the past on the swings at Hakdong Park, where they used to go as trainees.
RM spoke about a time during their No More Dream era where he threw his keyboard in frustration because his lyrics had received negative feedback 30 times. You can imagine how disheartening that would be, working so hard on something and re-working it multiple times, just to be told that it's not good enough again and again. JK was eating an ice cream that looked like corn 🌽 which caught my eye. BTS do a great job of boosting the tourism industry in South Korea it seems, because they just subconsciously (and sometimes consciously, they work with a lot of brands) promote things like food, drinks and activities that are specific to the country, that makes fans like me curious to visit. At the end, 6 out of 7 members reunited at the Olympic Stadium, except for Tae who went to the location where they did their debut showcase back in 2013. Poor Tae. They all got food at a restaurant afterwards, and there was a special menu prepared for them which was I thought was really thoughtful and sweet.
6. Episode 20 (2017)
Tae's Squirrel Bowl 🐿
I think the "squirrel locked in the garden" is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. My reaction was similar to Jin's. Also, Jungkook's gravity defying potatoes? Incredible. Not much needs to be said, I think the gifs speak volumes.
The squirrel bowl made a cameo in Episode 103, I was as happy as BTS were to see it again
5. Episode 146 (2021)
BTS Village: Joseon Dynasty 🇰🇷
I love that they're wearing hanbok in this episode (traditional Korean clothing), it shows yet another side of the Korean culture that I had not been exposed to. Sooooo many funny moments, you forget that BTS are idols and not comedians. The part when Jimin kicks Yoongi after he refuses to pretend to die and Hobi asking Jin why he's wearing glasses during the Joseon dynasty (Hobi, Jimin and RM have blonde hair in this episode, and Jungkook's is purple so I don't think anyone's too concerned about the lack of realism 😆).
4. Episode 128 (2021)
Childhood Games 🎲
I'm digging the jumpers in this episode
At the beginning of 2021, BTS (except for Suga who was absent for health reasons) played classic Korean childhood games (pre-Squid Game's release). There's so many hilarious moments, like when Tae kisses Jin on the cheek out of nowhere.
3. Episode 56 (2018)
BTS Picnic 🏕
BTS don't shy away from expressing their love and appreciation for each other. In this episode, they sit round the campfire and read poems they had prepared for each other. Tae's is my favourite, "It's No Big Deal". it's the right balance of funny and genuinely touching. It's a running joke that Yoongi, who is an introvert, would like to be reborn as a stone in his next life. Tae tells Yoongi that if he is reincarnated as a stone, he will take him to lots of beautiful places. He tells Jimin not to worry about dieting or making a mistake on stage, because he's still the coolest performer he's ever seen. Yoongi and Namjoon's poems were so profound and lyrical, it's a reminder of how talented they are as songwriters.
Though we dreamt of a high sky, it is high here, and cold, and so hard to breathe. It is true that the more light that burns upon us, the more shadows appear. What a relief, that we are seven. What a relief, that we are together.
This episode really shows on how much they rely on each other to get through the challenging times. They are each other's support system. Also, Jin's poem is hilarious. It comes to an abrupt end when he asks for the choreography to be made a little bit easier. He ends it with "Namjoon hwaeting" (meaning Namjoon fighting) because they are the 2 members who struggle the most with the choreography. I still think they're great, I'm a terrible dancer.
2. Episode 24 (2017)
The Zombies 🧟♀️🧟♂️
There are too many funny moments to list. When Hobi gets dragged off the bus and then loses his shoe when he's chased by zombies. When Jin and Yoongi get the fright of their life when they're jumpscared by the camera operator. RM's polite: "Ahh I'm sorry, excuse me" when he's trying to get past a zombie. Jin saying "Hello hello, come in come in" to a zombie, then being terrified. Jin and Yoongi complimenting one of the zombies for committing to their role: "Very good! Method actor!" Also, Jin giving one a high five. A lot of Armys love this episode because BTS' regional dialects or 사투리 in Korean (pronounced 'satoori') come out a lot more when they're scared or surprised. When I first watched this episode, I couldn't tell the difference between 사투리 and standard Korean, but now when I hear Jimin and Jungkook's Busan accents I can recognise the difference.
Side note: I love RM's hair in this episode
1. Episode 51 (2018)
Lotte World 🎢
Someone pls save Yoongi and Hobi
This episode has me in hysterics every time. Yoongi and Hobi being terrified on the boat ride is already hilarious, but the editing makes it 10 times funnier. The great thing about Run BTS! is that, as well as having fun watching the show, you learn things. For example, I found out that the word 'courage' is Korean is 용기 pronounced like 'yongi', which sounds a lot like Yoongi. The contrast between Yoongi and Hobi begging the staff to let them off the ride, and Taehyung and Jungkook having the time of their lives is so funny.
Honourable Mention: this clip where they had to memorise English words. My fav moments are the Konglish zipper/jac discussion and "crocodiiiiiile" 🐊 just the general vibe of it is fun and relaxed. It feels like hanging out with friends.
In conclusion, there are far too many good episodes to name all of them, but this is a selection of some of my favs in a rough order 😅 I'll defo forget some, but basically what I'm saying is, Run! BTS is a wholesome, positive, hilarious show. For me, watching an episode can really turn a bad day around.
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