Web Animation / BT21 UNIVERSE

Created by BTS!

Life is full of ups and downs but,
nothing to fear when we are together...
— Opening lines of "B2gether".

BT21 UNIVERSE is a YouTube series that forms part of BT21, the franchise co-created by the members of Korean group BTS in collaboration with LINE FRIENDS.

The series, which has episodes (which are 2-5 minutes long each) released monthly on BT21's official Youtube channel, deals with the origins and story of each of its 8 characters in their quest to become superstars. These are Tata, VAN, RJ, Shooky, Koya, Mang, Chimmy, and Cooky.

Curiously, this series (like the franchise in general) was preceded by the release of several behind-the-scene videos showing the members discussing and coming up with ideas for the personality, backstory, and motivations of the characters, also available on the official Youtube channel.

Not to be confused with the BTS Universe, the wildly different story from BTS' music videos.

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''BT21 Universe" contains examples of the following tropes:

• Abandoned Pet in a Box: This is where Chimmy wakes up in their backstory, alone (except for a harmonica) with no memories of who/where they are or where they came from.
• Affectionate Parody: Episode 04 shows Cooky's backstory in the style of an 80s-90s Shōnen anime opening, complete with a Hot-Blooded retro rock theme song and typical shots such as the three friends training next to the sea under the sunrise and sitting under the sunset while the camera pans up to the sky.
• Ain't Too Proud to Beg: One of the three bakers and possible replacements for Shooky's grandfather is recruited by Shooky using the move "Tell a sad story", with Shooky kneeling and crying while telling the baker their hardships.
• Alien Abduction: Some of the members joined after Tata abducted them with their spaceship, with RJ, Shooky and Mang shown being abducted onscreen. Played with though, as the others are entirely okay with this and (at least in some cases) it was previously agreed.
• Alliterative Family:
  • RJ, RK, RA, and Rᄀ.
  • Tata, Tutu, and Titi.
• Art Shift: The animation style changes often, shifting through several styles of both 2D and 3D animation.
  • Most notably, Episode 04 changes to 2D animation with a 80s-90s anime aesthetic, complete with an Aspect Ratio Switch.
  • The Shooky intro two-parter is told as an arcade video game (complete with pixelated animation), shifting through several video game genres.
  • Episode 03 switches between Moya's hand drawn video, 3D RJ, and 2D RJ/RK, all in 1 video
• Aspect Ratio Switch: After the opening logo, Episode 04 changes from a 16:9 aspect ratio to 4:3 as part of its 90s anime aesthetic.
• Author Avatar: Each of the characters (with the exception of Van) represents and was created by one of the BTS members, sharing some physical and/or personality traits:
  • Tata is this to V. This can be seen in their Big Ol' Eyebrows, but also their gentle and unusual way of seeing the world.
  • RJ is this to Jin. They're both very neat and polite with (as seen in RJ's "ROLO" note) a liking for puns.
  • Cooky is this to Jungkook. Both are Hot-Blooded and love exercising (particularly combat sports) and horror movies, with Jungkook often being compared to a bunny in Real Life.
  • Koya is this to RM. Both are introspective thinkers, with a fondness for nature, small creatures, and the moon.
  • Chimmy is this to Jimin. They're both known for their charm and cuteness. Their backstory also has some similarities with Jimin's friendship with V in real life.
  • Shooky is this to SUGA. Aside from the fact that they're both smaller than the rest, they both write songs, both have practical skills/street smarts, and are both very direct and (sometimes brutally) honest in their approach.
  • Mang is this to j-hope. Both are known for their amazing dance skills.
• Bizarre Alien Biology: Tata's species has both magic and Rubber Man/Voluntary Shapeshifting powers.
• Black Bead Eyes: A good majority of the characters have these.
• Brutal Honesty: Shooky tests the bread made by 3 bakers they could find and doesn't hesitate for a second in telling them it's not good, making the 3 bakers cry.
• The Cameo: Characters from previous episodes sometimes appear in the background. For example, Cooky, Jooky and Ian can be seen training in flashbacks in episodes 07 and 08.
• Captivity Harmonica: In Episode 06, Chimmy is shown playing the harmonica, their only possession and companion before meeting Tata, used near the end to show their loneliness.
• Carnivore Confusion: Of the... herbivore variety. Mere seconds after a talking leaf tells the story of how they met Koya, they turn around and watch in horror as Koya eats regular leaves in the background.
• Childhood Friend: Cooky, Jooky, and Ian.
• Companion Cube: Chimmy is shown in their backstory to try to build friends out of inanimate objects to make up for their loneliness, but they never lasted long.
• Does Not Know His Own Strength: Ian's Superpowered Evil Side appears mid-spar with Jooky and punches Jooky so hard, Jooky ends up in a coma. This leads to Ian, clearly regretful, going missing.
• Entitled to Have You: A platonic version with Chief and Chimmy. Chief took pleasure in watching Chimmy be lonely and sad, because the fact that there was someone out there who was just as miserable as them made them happy. When Chimmy found a friend in Tata, Chief got angry and jealous, leading to them becoming a member of AT21.
• Family Theme Naming:
  • Tata has their siblings Tutu and Titi.
  • RJ has their dad RA, and their mom R-Gyeok or Rᄀ, Gyeok/ᄀ being the first letter in the Korean alphabet. Also, their little sibling RK.
  • There's Shooky, Loky, and Spooky.
• First-Person Peripheral Narrator:
  • EP. 02 introduces Tata, but since they (like all 8 of the main characters) are The Voiceless, it's narrated by Titi, Tata's younger sibling.
  • EP. 03 introduces RJ via a conspiracy video about RJ's disappearance, made by Moya.
• Flying Saucer: Tata's spaceship.
• Friend to All Living Things: Koya, who spends their time reading and sleeping in nature surrounded by small animals (who bicker over who knows Koya, best telling Van all the good things Koya does for them), and even befriends a talking leaf.
• Friendless Background: Chimmy woke up abandoned in a cardboard box with no memory of who or where they were, growing up with no company except for a harmonica. Upon finding them, Tata became Chimmy's first friend.
• Glowing Eyes of Doom: Ian's Superpowered Evil Side has these.
• Gratuitous English: "I'll be baaaaack...."
• Gray Rain of Depression: Ep. 02 has a brief shot of Tata sitting under a statue as it rains after their way of seeing things is rejected by their family.
• Healthcare Motivation: Cooky and Ian's friend, Jooky, was badly beaten by Ian's Superpowered Evil Side in a training match, and put into a coma. This makes Ian go missing and Cooky go in search for them.
  • Shooky accepts joining Tata after the latter offers to help them find a cure for Shooky's grandfather.
• Higher-Tech Species: Tata's species. For starters, VAN is part of the TROY protector/helper AI line that transforms into an unique form when combined with the user's input and DNA.
• Jekyll & Hyde: RJ has a second, evil personality that manifests when they get dirty.
• Massive Numbered Siblings: Shooky has 362 siblings which make up the Crunchy Squad.
• Meaningful Background Event: In Episode 08 (which introduces Mang), there are brief cameos of the rest of BT21 characters, most notably Tata and VAN walking away from the aisle where Mang is looking at the wall of competition winners, meaning Mang was already being watched by the others since then.
• Melancholy Moon: In Episode 05, VAN finds Koya sitting alone and whistling among the fireflies under the moonlight. It's after this moment that VAN (who until then had been unable to find enough data for the "Love Scan") decides to recruit them.
• My God, What Have I Done?: Ian reacts with horror after accidentally leaving Jooky in a coma, leaving shortly afterwards.
• Odd Name Out: From Cooky's childhood friend group, there's Cooky, Jooky... and Ian.
• "Pan Up to the Sky" Ending: In true Shonen fashion, Episode 04 ends with this, panning from Cooky meeting Tata to the sunny sky.
  • Another example appears at the end of Chimmy's intro episode, now panning up towards the stars.
  • Episode 06 does this too, panning from Chimmy meeting Tata to the starry night.
  • The original animation story "Starry, Starry Night" ends this way, with the camera panning up to the night sky after Koya makes a wish on a shooting star.
• Pastiche: Episode 04 is made in the style of 80s-90s Shōnen anime.
• The Power of Friendship: The topic of "B2gether", the Animesque theme song in EP. 04.
• Power Trio: Cooky, Jooky and Ian used to be this, being 3 childhood friends who trained in boxing.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: One of the eyes of Ian's Superpowered Evil Side is bright red.
• Ridiculously Cute Critter: While all 8 main characters may qualify, this applies the most to RK, RJ's little sibling, and Koya's little animal (and plant) friends.
• Shadow Archetype: With the exceptions of RJ and Tata, each one of the main characters has a rival that is also this.
• Shout-Out:
  • Cooky's intro episode is made in the style of 80s/90s Shōnen sports anime, in the same vein as Slam Dunk and especially Hajime no Ippo.
  • Shooky's intro two-parter is made in the style of an arcade video-game, constantly shifting through several video game genres, referencing games such as Donkey Kong, Tapper, Pokémon, and Racing Games like Hang-On and OutRun.
    • At the end of the above, Tata, an alien, speaks very similarly to Yoda.
  • In episode 07 of season 3, Shooky launches themself into a bottle of milk to retrieve a data disk that can save VAN. While their friends look in horror, they slowly sink into it with a raised thumbs-up, saying (in Gratuitous English) "I'll be baaaaaack..."
• Show Within a Show: EP.03, which deals with RJ's backstory, is showed through a conspiracy video about RJ's disappearance revealed to be from Moya's Youtube channel. And RJ is watching it, clearly confused.
• Singer-Songwriter: The song "Shooky Shooky" (heavily featured in parts 1 and 2 of episode 07) was (In-Universe) written and composed by Shooky, and performed by the Crunchy Squad (which presumably includes Shooky).
• Speed Echoes: In Episode 08, Mang gets this at one point during their dance routine, rushing back towards Mang at the very end.
• The Stinger: Once all members have been recruited, Episode 08 ends with Moya (alone in their room) wondering what is Tata and their team up to.
• Strange-Syntax Speaker: In the second Shooky's intro episode, Tata becomes this.
• Stylistic Suck: The conspiracy video in EP. 03 is filled with Windows Movie Maker transitions and portraits of RJ clearly drawn in Paint.
• Suddenly Voiced: While early animations featuring the characters were either silent with narrations or had them engage in Voice Grunting, animated shorts from "Cooky's Fight Night" onwards feature full voice acting for all members of BT21, and even for some side characters.
• Super Move Portrait Attack: Shooky (as part of their video-game-themed intro episodes) gets one where they use the move "> Tell sad story" against a baker.
• Superpowered Evil Side: Ian seems to have this, changing color and becoming stronger but also much more vicious and out of control.
• Take That!: BT21 have a rival group that hates them and wants to break them up, tries to stir up controversy by spreading false information, circulating malicious photos, and fabricating conflict, but are also constantly watching them, and even buy their merch in secret. Hmm, where have we seen that before?
• Talking with Signs: VAN uses signs to cheer Cooky on during their boxing match. When Cooky is defeated by their opponent, VAN holds up a sign that says "OMG" as they, Tata, and Shooky look on in horror.
• Tears of Joy: Downplayed; Chimmy gets misty-eyed after finally finding a real live friend in Tata.
• Theme Naming: Frequent among families and friend groups of each main character. See Family Theme Naming above.
  • There's Cooky and their friend Jooky. Averted with Ian.
  • There's also their rivals; Koya has Moya, Mang has Gwang, Chimmy has Chief, and Shooky has Spooky, with the rivals (plus Ian and RJ's evil self) making the team AT21.
• Training Montage: An early section of Episode 04 (which as a whole is an anime opening parody) has one of Cooky, Jooky, and Ian training in boxing.
• Unusually Uninteresting Sight: In Episode 08, the crowd reacts more strongly to Mang's appearance and dance routine than to Mang being alien-abducted right in the middle of the stage.
• The Voiceless: None of the main characters speak beyond voice grunts. Averted for other characters, who talk and in occasions provide narration. See Suddenly Voiced above, however.
  • Averted for Episode 07 (parts 1 and 2), which is done in an arcade video-game style, and has Shooky speaking through text-based dialogue. Also temporarily averted in the same episode for Tata, who also speaks through text (and for some reason, becomes a Strange-Syntax Speaker).
• Wish Upon a Shooting Star: The original story "Starry, Starry Night" focuses on Koya and Shooky watching a meteor shower. Shooky even mentions this trope verbatim, and in the end, Koya makes a wish that Shooky's sick grandfather will get better on one of the meteors while Shooky is sleeping.
• Willfully Weak: Non-combat variation: Tata's family uses magic to spread love around their planet, but Tata refuses to use magic, believing that love comes from effort, not magic. Tata's differences with their family are what makes them leave in order to prove them wrong.
• Word Salad Lyrics: The lyrics of "Shooky Shooky" is just several verses of words that end in "-ky", going from "okeydokey walkie-talkie" to "Tchaikovsky Dostoyevsky".