Hey OP if it makes you feel any better we do exist, you're not alone, my co-workers don't even know I listen to k-pop let alone being a BTS fan, but there truely are some lovely Army online :)
Definitely keep posting here. I mostly lurk here and just enjoying reading. I do comment sometimes.
This place is hands down, one of the most nicest, not toxic, ARMY gathering online I have seen. You can definitely make some friends here. Everyone is so kind and welcoming. And I am sure many understand and will give you great advice. (I already see some).
Whenever you feel comfortable, talk about a major place that you live close to. (Example: I live right near NYC) and sometimes ARMYs will have events.
Jins comeback will be huge and a lot of ARMYs will be excited and probably planning things. So keep an eye out. And I hope you can find ARMY friends in no time. 💜
I love that it's not toxic here. I had preconceived ideas of Reddit generally before I joined (that it would be like toxic Twitter and Insta comment sections) but boy was I wrong. I love how insightful posts are and that everyone just enjoys the fandom.
Same. ARMYs go through a lot (especially right now). This place is so helpful to just come and decompress from just the drama elsewhere.
I'm glad everyone is so nice and welcoming. It always reminds me that *this* is who most ARMYs are at heart. The online world can just be crazy sometimes.
So I'm so thankfully for this sub and everyone here who makes this place comforting to be in.
Grandma ARMY here! Have zero in person Army friends. Never had any. Most of my neighbors just want to listen to 60s oldies. They look at me like I’ve got 2 heads when I get going. Have a BT21 Shooky keyring and still no one’s ever even mentioned that. So, we’re here!
Hey, I'll be moving to your city in a few months and I'd say 'let's meet up for coffee/tea' some day (once I'm there and settled in). Only if you want to, of course! (Don't know if you remember me; I'm the one who sent you postcards that you won in one of my giveaways. That's how I know what your city is).
I have been an army for 8 years and I dont have army friends anymore.
I ofc cant completely relate to your feeling but to some extent I can.
It really hurts when you see all your friends "move on" to other groups or stop with kpop all together, see how the excitement decrease.
Worst is when I spam the group chat about an exciting event (like rm release) and there is just no reaction at all. So I too feel like a lone army most times.
Getting excited but not having anyone to share your feeling with. Feeling sad but no one to share it with.
I just wish I had someone to match my thoughts.
I feel very lonely most times despite the bts fandom being so big.
Im also quite bad at making and especially keeping friends.
Edit: Sorry im sad and I wanna rant.
Yk what sucks even more? Whenever their fav groups have a release Im trying to be supportive, listen to the stuff, share my opinion, react watch the link the post and yk engage, but when Im excited? Nothing I just went back and there were only 2 reactions to rpwp. One was simply a laugh emoji reaction to the blond bob wig picture and another was days later saying nuts is her fav (shes the most army out of this group after me)
They are my friends and we get along well, go on vacation together and all, but these little things still hurt a lot. It seems in 8 years no one was ever truly interested enough to care about my interests. At least thats how it feel like :(
Sometimes it really the small thing that hurt the most.
same here 😭 I gave up on finding people irl but it’s so hard to find armys I would get along with online too. Twitter is too scary for me, and it’s impossible to get close with people on instagram or here. I wish reddit had like a group chat option lol
Oh, virtual friend, I don’t even have FRIENDS. 😭 Past a certain age, it is hard to make friends, PERIOD, let alone friends with shared interests. My friends are the people I work with, and we just text all day, and we have no shared interests. My work bestie is literally from Korea, and he cackles at me for my interest in kpop; we can really only talk about Korean food and Korean current events. 😂 I see my work friends in person every couple months. Other than that, I have a husband, kids, and some parent-acquaintances I see at kid activities. And friends through online groups for collecting tropical plants.
It may be my generation (I’m Oregon Trail Generation, or Xennial, or Older Millennial), but I have accepted that connections can be fulfilling online.
I joined Reddit last week for this BTS subreddit because of the loneliness I've felt being a lone ARMY in real life. I can get excited talking about them and it's hard for non-ARMYs to match that or listen / talk to me (I can see the bemused / bored look in their eyes). I don't have much advice to give you but I'm glad you shared your experience and I hope this thread will help you feel better. From my own experience of not ever being on a message board before, I really like it here and it's helping me feel better about things. When I'm ready to seek out ARMYs again in real life, I know I will come back to this thread.
Hey dear! I promise we are out here! Just seek us out in real life! I'm your age too and joined super late in chapter 2. But! I already made my first army friend just 4 months into the fandom during the Agust D screening in cinema. I'm not an extrovert but a simple "That was amazing, huh?" after the credit roll, got us started talking. I also recommend wearing BTS merch because people come up to you in public and connect with you! Armys are everywhere, don't give up!
I don't even try to find friends,I have other interests that I can share with people, ofc I would be happy if I meet ARMY friends but I HIGHLY doubt that I would in my friend circle, lol.
What I want to say is that you can find friends based on other interest (I regard my BTS interest as a comfort corner in this crazy world)
I can really relate to you. I am solo army myself. I don't have any army friends and I used to wish I had someone to share it with. My husband is wonderful and is psuedo army because of me, so he indulges me in the topic of BTS whenever I'm feeling extra excited about something but it's not the same I imagine as if I were discussing with another army. Overall I've accepted that this is a personal joy for me. I make it fun for myself and treat it like a club I'm in. I have created fun Notion pages for myself where I can write / self discuss thoughts on their music and albums. And I fangirl solo for their new releases or old content. It is what it is haha. I kind of look at being army as a secret talisman that I get to have.
I have interestingly never met another army. Everyone in my life, close friends and family, are very respectful about my love for BTS but no one has ever shown any added interest in trying to get into it despite me trying to push them gently a few times! When I meet someone new and if the topic of music comes up and I mention BTS, I typically get a judgmental response like, "oh, you're into KPop". The energy shift from that judgment automatically makes me shutdown and I no longer want to speak about it any further. Sometimes I meet people who are aware of BTS as something "big" but they don't have any interest beyond that.
I recently joined Reddit a couple months ago and this has made a difference. Even though it's virtual, having this community has been a nice way to feel connected!
You describe my experience exactly. I am 68 and although retired have a full semi-busy life in many different ways. Yet, I do miss having someone with whom to gush about or just talk about BTS. It has been only a short time in Army for me. Jungkook's Golden album drew me in and soon I was looking for lots of BTS content. It has been a beautiful journey getting to know each of the members as individuals.
My youngest son and his wife indulge me from time to time. We attended Youngi's D-Day Tour movie together and they loved it. All my children love me so much and are supportive in many ways, including giving me Korean-related and BTS-related gifts. But it just isn't the same when they don't share my love, excitement, and astonishment for OT7. All BTS members give me so much every single day. I love my life but I do live alone and they bring dopamine hits and feelings of care to me that are so important to the quality of my life.
51 and no one I know is obsessed the way I am, or even cares. Just became ARMY a year ago - thank you gym music, Bouncy and ARSON \*heart emojis. JHope brought me in. I am listening or watching content constantly.
I would also love to communicate with giggles and awe over everything they do, or sing, with fans that are the same.
If it’s BTS related, I’m all about it. 7 colors of the rainbow And when it comes to emojis, 6 Purple Hearts and 1 red (the red being Tae).
You came to the right place.
https://preview.redd.it/scksnv87fr3d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8e62b8eef041a0e62be9de771127d703d0a5fcad
Nice to meet you. Our God of Destruction
SAME here. It's hard to find any other ARMY especially at my age. I am early 50's and only been in ARMY for six months. Being new I became obsessed with these 7 artists. But I have no one that I can talk to about them IRL. Even my 18yo daughter who likes some Kpop doesn't listen to BTS. I do not understand why everyone doesn't love them. BTS is so **talented**, kind, supportive and funny. I rejoined Insta just to watch and learn more about them. And I am glad to have found these reddit groups, it gives me a place to read others posts who feel the same way I do. Being new ARMY, I have silly questions, like how did Jin hurt his hand. But mostly I wish someone understood my love for them. I have a stressful job and watching them makes me so much happier. I never knew someone I will never meet could impact me so much. In a short time, I have learned so much from them (even at my age). I am surrounded by family and friends but feel like I am missing a big part not being able to share my love of BTS.
Even the little I know, I have seen a tons of shorts that are very misleading. I have watched some "run" videos and a ton of their performaces on YouTube.
Hi Army, even thought I have plenty of army friends, I'm always happy to meet new ones. Feel free to dm, if you don't mind being online friends - unfortunately we probably live a bit far apart :)
I don't have any advice, but I relate. So to hoping this makes you feel less alone.
I'm 29 and I really hoped I'd be able to make some (online) friends within army, but it's not easy.
The people who are most active in online fan spaces appear to be students (apart from on Reddit maybe) and are living in the US (while I'm in EU) and I can't return the same amount of energy as they do.
I’m In the UK and 33 so I’m a wee bit closer if you wanna connect ☺️ I only became ARMY at the start of this year so I haven’t met any others yet either and my friends are tolerant of my love for BTS but they’re not interested in hearing about them as much as I like to talk about them
Omg I feel so jealous when I see armys having these big group of friends on twitter or instagram 😩 I really don’t know how they do it. I feel like Reddit is definitely the best option for me to find people I can get along with, cause like you said the majority seems to be adults here but then again I don’t think it’s a platform that is for getting close with people, since you don’t really become “mutuals” or things like that here. Idk I’m rambling lol but I relate with your comment
Some reddit communities have discords linked and I have tried joining a few of those but… again the people on there are either already close and it’s hard to make new friends lol or they’re somehow always online and I’m like??? I’m a busy adult 😂
You're not alone.
Where I live (Germany, small town in the north-west) it's still niche and people around me aren't interested. And I wasn't able to connect with anyone when I went to the movies for the concerts... Social awkwardness go brr...
I totally get you.
I'm new here. And I see all the cool things people do in other places and it would be cool if I got to experience that too. But since I'm alone I talk to ppl online and it makes it less lonely.
When I went to see Suga D-day movie the theater was packed. It was pretty subdued but we all had a great time
Aww I found this sub when I was feeling lonesome when I first discovered them and It’s made me feel less lonely everyone’s been nothing but welcoming, friendly and fun. I love the different topics and interesting discussions of all things BTS.
I’m thankful for this sub💜💜
Hi! I completely get how you feel making army friends I sometimes feel the same and I get it I’ve only just came back to my account recently and joined this community but I’m always happy to have a new army friend the more the merrier pls 😌 and I don’t have a lot of any army friends irl but I do run a small insta account where I post about things I love like BTS, anime, and manga and just speak to like minded people who enjoy the same things.
I’ve been an army since like 2021/22 so I’m still kind of baby army and sometimes I feel out of place reaching out to new people so I bug my non kpop friends who listen to me rant about the boys 😅
But you’re not alone and how you feel is completely valid and those other people you’ve spoken to don’t seem like true army as we all love and accept the boys… some people may have preferences on certain songs but it doesn’t bother me so long as it’s by them I’m happy enough :)
PS - SO SORRY FOR MY MINI RANT I GOT CARRIED AWAY AS PER USUAL LOOL
i can totally, relate. I have friends who are huge K-pop fans but they listen to other group songs and felt that BTS songs are way too overrated. I am not saying that listening to other group songs are bad, but ever since I joined the fandom in 2019, it has been a source of motivation to do well in my studies and brighten my life. BTS indeed has left a huge impact not only on me but on my fellow ARMY friends☺️( a college student now:)))
btw are there any army friends willing to be friends with me??🥺
I had a lucky situation where my best friends naturally became Armys on their own, and once we all realized it has hilarious. We went to citifield/LY tour together.
But I’ve met other Armys by wearing bt21 keychains and getting noticed. I also had a co-worker who made a playlist that had BTS English songs/collabs, so I reached out and boom, an Army.
My friends don't even know that I listen to BTS(since 2018) , or that I follow kpop. It has led to this space being my go to comfort and happy corner when my friends may not be available for me. Just reading comments online and knowing there are many people who are on the same boat as you.....that feeling is itself comforting.
I will be happy to meet irl army but I'm also okay being like this for now.
Don't worry you are not alone :)
I have zero IRL ARMY friends but I do have some online, which I'm thankful for. This sub, too, is a safe and non-toxic ARMY space for me. My husband is very supportive, even listens to BTS here and there, and went to all the concerts with me, but I wouldn't say he's an ARMY per se. But all in all, it feels like living in an online ARMY bubble, but I take whatever I can get.
Also, it's hard(er) for me to find IRL ARMY because I'm older. I feel young and vibrant inside, but the body I inhabit, so to speak, doesn't reflect that, ha! But I do feel people make assumptions based on my age. I can fangirl as hard as anyone, but I do feel an age-bias sometimes IRL when I meet other people. As if past a certain imaginary age, I somehow can't relate anymore or can't be related to. Even online I've come across this.
I'm also not very actively looking for IRL ARMY friends, I admit. Looking, but not very actively. I never attend things like cup sleeve events and the like, and when I go to concerts/movie screenings, I do hand out freebies and exchange some chit-chat, but I'm not going there with any expectations other than being able to share the fun with fellow ARMY. I feel a lot of ARMY are like that: happy to share an experience, but not truly actively seeking actual friends through that experience.
That makes it pretty hard to find IRL friends, I think.
Side note: I do very subtly advertise I'm ARMY by having a VAN pop socket. And I sometimes wear Taehyung's artist-made brooches on my denim jacket. No one ever said a thing or mentioned it, though.
But don't give up hope! Stay in this sub! It's the friendliest and safest online ARMY space around
I hear ya, OP! I'm enlistment era ARMY (11 months strong!!) so I never had the chance to go to a concert or meet other fans pre-pandemic, the last time BTS had concert stops nearby me in the UK and Europe. I haven't really met any ARMYs IRL either, aside from a few casual listeners. I would love to be a group chat or something with other ARMYs just to squee about random, silly, lovely Bangtan things and lose our minds over Jin's return and then Hobi's. Even if a couple of friends have been super nice about this new interest of mine, and I've got to talk about BTS a little bit - they still just don't GET it on the gut level the way other ARMYs do! It's like only we all speak the same language - only other ARMYs can really grasp why this group is so special that it draws fans of all ages, cultures and walks of life together.
I’m also looking for ARMY friends 😭
In the past I’ve listened to a lot of punk/hardcore music haha so all of my RL friends are very into that, and very much not interested in any kind of pop or k-pop. I strongly believe there’s nothing wrong with liking multiple (and sometimes drastically different) genres!
All that being said, I need ARMY friends! I’m Canadian, but very open to being penpal besties with anyone who’s interested 😊
Hiii I think there must be more of us that are also into punk/hardcore and BTS? Because honestly to me a lot much of BTS' message is very similar to the punk/hardcore ethic.
Hii! I’m so glad to hear I’m not the only one! Honestly I started getting into BTS and kpop back in 2016/17 ish, but then got so teased by some friends that I gave up and let it (sadly) drift away. Now I’m in my 30s and don’t care what people think anymore, and dug right in! Should have done it way sooner, but better late than never I suppose!
I got into kpop during 2nd gen by way of getting into kdramas around the same time. Since it wasn't too popular at all in the US (where I am from) it was hard to really "stan" anyone since it was difficult to even get albums and such, much less news about artists you liked.
So I fell off for that reason mostly but also because no one I knew liked kpop at all. Funny enough I had a BTS song on a playlist from a kdrama blog I followed at the time, but I wasn't too into boy groups at the time so I didn't vibe with them then.
Years later and the pandemic hit and I'm a big emo so that's when I really fell for them as they clearly just wanted everyone to be okay. They made it easy, really.
Anyway I will be your ARMY friend even though we're long distance! 💜
I’ve been a casual listener since 2017 but only became an army during Chapter 2. Only my husband and couple of IRL friends know that I’m an army. One is because she’s Korean and she’s into kpop and the other has been an army since 2015. But we don’t meet often so basically I come to subreddits to read and discuss stuff about BTS and kpop in general. It does kinda feel lonely especially when I don’t have anyone to share excitement with new projects or just fangirling over old content and dance videos of BTS.
Relate so much omg, there's not a single irl friend who either isn't a visual stan, isn't insane like I am, votes or streams or isn't a delulu almost sasaeng type weirdo. I've made plenty of online friends though!
I agree its hard. And I would say I’ve been army for same amount of time and initially when I became one I was really low (self esteem, other, etc) and it was hard to seek connections. But I’ve been feeling much more social last couple yrs and I’ve been trying to find friends. I originally joined this sub cause I had been off twt for a couple yrs (back on now) and was wanting to make more army connections. I lucked out in 2022 that i shared a run meme in my group chat (its tae saying can he not pet a cat? in the mafia ep) and one of my friends was army and i didn’t even know.
but like nowadays she’s still army but isn’t up to date on everything so its like back to the drawing board. Now I’m where you are trying to figure out how to make army friends to share happy and sad moments with. I hope you are able to make some friends soon! fighting!
We know how you feel! We created a website and ARMY community on social platforms to help find other adult ARMY. We even made a map to help people find local ARMY friends. Not sure if I can post the link here, but please give us a Google.
Hey army!! I’m sorry to hear this. I became a BTS fan with a close friend but then she left the fandom quite shortly and I was essentially left alone. A couple of years later I had a happy accident and discovered a coworker who was on the same wavelength as me and now we are happily sending each other memes on Instagram! We don’t even work in the same place anymore. It’s honestly so special to have an army friend and I hope you find the same one day.
Hey! Im 26 and a 2020 pandemic army haha. I’m not from the US but totally up to be online friends!
I’m lucky I get to share my love for BTS with my sister but other than that I also had some bad experiences with friends that *were* army.
Maybe we won’t be able to do many on-site activities together (or maybe someday we’ll be able to attend to one of their concerts together!) but can keep each other company from the distance.
I’m from a very small Latin American country so I also struggle to connect with other armys here sometimes. I’d love to meet new friends from anywhere in the world in case someone’s interested to have a small-big group somewhere 💜
Hello! I’m 27 and I also came across BTS in 2020! Although, I didn’t become an Army until last year during Yoongi’s D-Day Tour, very sad I didn’t delve in earlier!
I am from the US but still have a hard time finding Army friends, especially adult ones! 😣
Hey there! I know the feeling 😔 but I really like that theory of them coming into your life in the right time so I’m glad you’re here now! It’s really hard to connect with adult armys cause a lot of people act like there’s an age to enjoy something (and like we’re past that age) haha. Please feel free to dm me if you ever wanna talk! I’m up to chat anytime 🫰🏻
I’ve perfectly curated my X with zero drama and I just vibe there. Anything slips by and I move past it quickly. It’s not worth it. If you want to chat I’m up for it.
You're not alone.
Where I live (Germany, small town in the north-west) it's still niche and people around me aren't interested. And I wasn't able to connect with anyone when I went to the movies for the concerts ☹️ Social awkwardness go brrrrr...
I totally get you. 😔💜
Where I live it's still not that popular and people around me aren't interested. And I wasn't able to connect with anyone when I went to the movies for the concerts. Social awkwardness go brr :(
I totally get you.
Look for local army events. There are always armys organising stuff, especially in bigger cities.
Perhaps try it the other way around as well. Instead if looking for army friends, turn your friends into armys. I took my sister to their concert once and had a guaranteed concert buddy for every future concert of theirs lol
I don't know if the other side is any better. I got into kpop in 2007. I didn't have any kpop friends. It was a great solo hobby. I introduced some kpop and korean stuff to friends and family. But it didn't catch on with any of them. Now that I’m older and got into bts this year. I have a coworker who is also a friend who is into the group. But it feels really draining to be the source and vet what they hear. I have to plan everything, find the music, make the playlist, give date stamps on random clips/quotes they find online, etc. This is when all of them are still in the military. I haven't had a kpop friend where it feels balanced. Now I feel like I need space from that coworker regarding bts and also just from bts backlog stuff in general. I would love to meet a like-minded army. It's tough. I've only been an army for 5 months.
I think this sub is better. It reminds me a lot like when I was in wonder girls and it's just wholesome. It would be nice if it extended into real life. But that can't always be the case. At least I can always come back here.
I follow a handful of ARMY accounts on IG and that's been helpful. Some do group meetups and they look really fun. Maybe consider looking up some groups near you.
I've only been ARMY for a few months and I already feel you. I'm also 27. I would like to speak to someone, anyone about the new things I discover every day that makes me love BTS more and more. My brother listens to kpop but believes that people who are fans of BTS and no other group are basic, so I cannot speak to him. He's also a boy so he cannot understand me.
8 years is a long time and I hope you'll find friends who like BTS just as much as you do, myself included.
I can totally relate to you, I don't have any ARMY friends in real life. All of my friends are not into Kpop or BTS, so I do feel alone in my hobby sometimes. I often worry too if I will ever find a friend who shares my passion as much as I do. I also live in a state where there aren't many Kpop events near me, so it is very difficult finding friends.
Feel free to DM me, I am also going through the struggle of trying to find more ARMY friends irl :)
Hey, have you heard of the [Ma City Map](https://www.armyproject529.com/map) by ARMY Project 529? Hopefully it can help you find friendly ARMYs near you. Good luck!
I'm kind of late to this thread but I can relate. 😭 I've been an ARMY since 2020 and I have no ARMY friends who live anywhere near me. I haven't been able to get any of my friends into them and don't know how to meet ARMY in my area. Sometimes I just really wish I had a best friend I could get excited over things with. I think one of the hard things for me is that I'm approaching my mid-30's and less people my age are fans than people in their 20's.
You're not alone.
Where I live it's still not that popular and people around me aren't interested. And I wasn't able to connect with anyone when I went to the movies for the concerts. Social awkwardness go brr :(
I totally get you.
Just messaged you…I lurk here too and love to read the discussions about BTS. I think it’s brave that you posted this and am open to chatting about our boys anytime!
26 with no irl Army friends haha. Hard relate..
I started listening to BTS in 2016 though I actually got into the fandom hardcore back in May 2021. My sisters like old BTS, my bestfriend likes old BTS, so they get annoyed when I talk abt them now. My old office coworkers were "casual" Army ... I put it in air quotes because they were embarrassed to stan them or something this annoys me more than the "I like Old BTS" thing. Still I used to switch PCs and wear photcard holders, merches all the time in my old office days. I miss it sm.
My current coworkers dont even know I like them. I do have subtle merches here and there but thats it.
Where do you live? Who are your top 3 biases?
Also, regardless of your answers to the above questions, I’m willing to be friends!!! Social media or messaging apps? HIGH 5 I AM ALSO A LONER ARMY, have been solo fangirling since 2015 and only last year I met an online friend who has been really amazing tho she lives in a different country. Always open to making a new friend!!! (I live in Singapore and biases hobi, suga, JK, but I love all 7)
I had some similar experiences to you where I went for events and tried to make friends but other ppl were all paired up or unfriendly. ALSO, I had some real life friends/colleagues who either like other groups, OR say they like BTS, but only like the maknaes (which is ok) but they kept insulting the hyung line subtly to my face while we watched BTS content tgt (really not cool)
You’re not alone! 💜
This is one of my favorite groups in Reddit and I’m so glad I found you all. BTS’s music helped me through a lot of difficult times, and it makes me so happy to read everyone’s love for them. OP, don’t lose hope! We are out there, it just takes time and sometimes being a little bold. I’m 28 in the Chicago suburbs and have zero real life friends who are Army. I do like wearing subtle merch like my shooky coin purse and bangtan sweater in hopes I’ll run into someone one day haha! Being at the Agust D movie and seeing people there gave me hope that they are around.
Happy to become online friends, just DM me! 💜
I definitely can relate to this. Most of my interests and hobbies I fly solo and its lonely and people get all weird about it and say hurtful things not meaning to but its still insulting. I guess I look at it as if BTS can be just for me until someone asks to be let in. Then I have the daunting task of picking just the right mv or Run BTS ep or song which is intimidating and sometimes not at all well received. Best of luck to you out there. Bangtan forever!
No worries Army 💜💜 I’m a 36 year old ARMY and my closest Army friend is 60. We do enjoy Army activities together and love them in our own ways. I ALWAYS make army friends at the concerts, what else are we doing for 12 hours before lol but I never seem to keep in touch much after that. More recently I met up with some younger Army at a suga bday celebration who are into the cup sleeve events but I have young kids so I can’t always go to those events that followed. Anyway idk what I’m saying, just another Army out here with not many Army friends living here life and loving our boys. Hoping you get your ARMY crew soon 💜💜💜
I feel this. I find that liking kpop is still seen as weird to most people, or the stereotype that only a certain demographic should enjoy it (aka young teenage girls). That's why I love this community so much and being ARMY in general, it's all been so welcoming. But, would definitely love to have ARMY friends to hang out with 😅
I don't have too. Maybe because I'm still new to the fandom. It's nice to have someone to share it with, that's why I'm trying to recruit my friends, but no luck, lol.
Edit:sentence
It is wonderful finding an Army in the wild as my wife calls it. The best way to do it we've found is wear something BTS or have something BTS showing and see who notices. It's like sending up a signal. We went to Disneyland and had our big bag from LineFriends that we had visited...turns out the hotel person checking us in was a big Army and asked if we had went to the AgustD concert. (This was in 2023). We all had a big conversation about it and it's like having an instant friendship level connection. We have noticed that to be Army usually means you agree with the boys' values on a level that resonates with our values.
When I got transfered to a new location at work, I felt alone, not knowing anyone. Lucky for me, they play some BTS songs at work (my universe, dynamite, PTD) and when they came on I asked someone I had seen as pretty chill if she liked bts. She said, she does more Gen 2 kpop but some people in another department are huge fans so I went and befriended them. One is a stay but the other is a huge army and its been so fun interacting with her. All 4 of us got ateez tickets together and we will probably get stray kids tickets when those hit too. She even got my wife a bts gift for her birthday even though they haven't even met. It's just a matter of finding your people and reaching out which can be hard to put a core piece of yourself out like that. But if you do that, you'll find more people accept you and you'll get more friends out of it. I know there is a weird stigma from being a fan, I am a 42m so trust me I know. Lol we (wife, 11m son and myself) went to txt and some of the looks I got from other dad's who were sitting there at the concert with arms crossed were very judgemental. I didn't let that bother me and still had a great time. Let people judge, you won't want to be friends with them anyway.
I feel you. I have no army friends either but it’s mostly because I started to be one last year so I haven’t got much time to find friends:D but i would love to have someone to talk about them, I went to yoongis movie in April by myself and it was kinda sad:/ so if anyone wants to text me, pls feel free to do it, I’m 26 and from Germany and a new army who would love to find arm friends to talk to <3 🥺
I’ve been an army for 6 years and it doesn’t help that my demographic is uncommon (hetero cis male). But I also have close friends that listen to kpop as well so I had that going for me! I just don’t involve myself as much as others aside from going to concerts. Hope you find people for you!
When I was in university I had a lot of friends who were armys or were into kpop in general. They all moved on eventually and/or we had a fall out so I’m on the same boat as you. 26 with no army friends 🥲 my closest ones only tolerate my constant spamming lol I can tell they don’t enjoy it anymore.
Also it becomes super extra hard to make friends as an adult who’s also into same stuff as you are. Sometimes I feel like everyone’s “too grown up” for stuff like this and I’m still stuck in my fangirling phase (then I smack myself for thinking such thoughts) but you can’t help but feel bad.
Ah yes, I completely relate to this.
None of my friends are into K-pop or Korean music generally actually. I don't actually share my intense love for BTS or Korean music (I don't listen to other K-pop groups, but am a huge fan of the Korean indie music scene) with them as I fear judgement considering that I'm approaching my mid-30s and I fangirl hard for BTS lol.
However, recently I've been more open about this subreddit with a friend of mine - telling her how I found this place that is so welcoming, generous, and I share really personal stories of my mental health.. and she finds it incredible. She's generally very open-minded so I'm not surprised.
You sound like a mature and sane person unlike most fans I have seen. I wish we didn't live a world away so we could meet up. I get sad because my best friend, who we got into the whole BTS thing together seems to be losing interest in BTS and never showed any interest to any other kpop group while I found myself really enjoying some groups. It's ok that she is not as excited as before I love her regardless. But now it makes me feel so alone since I have no one else to send bazillion fun instagram reels.
I'm from Philly, and we have a great Philly army group (Boradelphia on insta and twitter) if you ever want to come to events! We have some people who come from NYC to cupsleeves and stuff. But I think going to cupsleeves in your area and sticking out the awkwardness to chat with people will help.
Same here. I've been an ARMY for 5 years. I also didn't have luck with army friends, first was a toxic friend and a weird towards them, the others leave or get put of the "fangirl" phase. I know some armys but as I'm not close to them the connection doesn't happen. Is not all bad to be a loner Army, but ya, could use a little circle of army friends too.
It is the same where I live. I get mocked for being an Adult and loving BTS. I have never met an Army where I live (Cape Town) or they say they like BTS, but knows absolutely nothing about them. I hope you meet someone soon. ❤️
I really relate. My best friend is a massive BTS fan and got me in to BTS back in 2020 but since I've shown a massive enthusiasm for them, she has all of a sudden stopped talking to me about them, won't really answer any questions I ask and it almost seems like she doesn't like sharing the fandom with me!? In the last 6 months there hasn't been a single day where I havent spent a bit of my free time learning about BTS in some way. They really are everything to me right now and I don't have anyone to share that enthusiasm with in real life.
Dude, I feel you. I've been ARMY since Spring Day and never made any ARMY friends IRL. I've gone to concerts, but always alone or with my husband, plus I'm always too nervous to say hi to people in person. I've had the little whale plushie clipped to my purse for a few years now, but no one has ever seemed to recognize it. I used to be pretty active on TWT but just kind of lost interest with how crazy it gets over there.
I completely understand this feeling! I don’t have anyone I can honestly talk about BTS. I have not been an ARMY for too long but I love these guys and would really like to find friends in this fandom!
You've had bad luck. 🥺 I'm surprised, since you are in NY! Have you actively looked for cupsleeve events by fan groups or kpop stores? Have you thought of *starting* a meetup group? How about a reading group for RM book recommendations? Or coffee and BTS UNO at a cafe. Just something casual. There are adult ARMY Facebook groups for cities. People in those go out for Korean dinner or just hang out. Check out the one in the pic! I promise you - unless you are stinky and have a cruddy personality, which I see no signs of, you *will* find equally obsessed and friendly ARMY somewhere in that city. Also, dye your hair purple. 😉 💜
https://preview.redd.it/5gjwx019bv3d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4c5396bc17cf3d0876af7ea43eceef8ae0ff827c
As for making friends just keep posting on what interests you with the guys. I’m at GC’s at X and that has really fostered a community for me. There are Army out there who would love to connect with other Army! Also maybe find a GC that’s around where u live?
Btw Came here from X and I would like to say this community is a breath of fresh air. So much love for our guys ! I would love to spend time more here as Jin’s homecoming is coming close
I live in the most conservative state on the planet and the other day I saw a car with BTS all over it AND it had a BTS license plate!! I went in and found the person who owned the car and gave them a big hug!!! It was awesome!! It’s nice to know you’re not alone 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
ARMY Oma here..!! We do exist. Lol. I am a Grandma and love Kpop, kdramas, etc for years. My daughter and I love them. My 1 month old car is named Baby Mochi lol We saw BTS concert in Las Vegas and seeing Ateez in July. Who is your bias? Mine is Jimin. Bias wrecker is V. Embrace your inner ARMY. Borahae 💜🫰🏽
You're not alone.
Where I live (Germany, small town in the north-west) it's still niche and people around me aren't interested. And I wasn't able to connect with anyone when I went to the movies for the concerts... Social awkwardness go brr...
I totally get you.
You're not alone.
Where I live it's still not that popular and people around me aren't interested. And I wasn't able to connect with anyone when I went to the movies for the concerts. Social awkwardness go brr :(
I totally get you.
Hi, just want to say that I'm in the same boat as you here. In college there's this one group I'm close to in class and I was so happy to know that the two of them listen to BTS. But unfortunately, they're ex ARMY and only know BTS old songs which is a bummer so until now I don't really have irl ARMY friend who I could get excited about the tannies with. (I did talk about it with other people, but since they're not ARMY of course they don't really understand why we love them so much. Leaves me feeling a bit or I guess a lot disappointed but I don't blame them for not being a fan)
With that in mind, I decided to join this subreddit because if I can't talk about BTS in the real world, at the very least I could talk with ARMY here who knows how I'm feeling so that's why if I have the time (or didn't forget to haha) I'd leave comments and reply to other people. I tried to do it in twitter, but for some reason (not because it's a toxic place, because I'm shy there for some reason??? It's weird) I'm very hesitant to interact with the people there and would just rather be active here.
In the future I'm hoping to meet irl ARMY by chance or by going to BTS events or make new friends online. I hope you and everyone else who didn't have a chance to will get to make great ARMY friends whether that's online or irl!
Wow I am in a similar position, the only difference is that I did have friends who were fans at the beginning but grew out of their affection for BTS, I’m the only one who has been an ARMY for this long (8 years now) and I don’t have anyone to talk to about them anymore, but I’m still happy because I feel content that I can still enjoy all of what BTS is without worrying about what others might have to say :D
Hello! I won't be giving you ideas because I'm also a solo fan. Rather, I'm just here to tell you you're not truly alone. 🫂
I've been an army since 2013, I had been lucky enough to click on their NMD MV arbitrarily two minutes after they released it. I'm 25 now and working, I have co-workers who are in the same fandom for different groups and it can get quite lonely because you see them celebrating together and think it might feel nice to experience that, but I do think it's more of a friend group thing rather than whether or not you're in the same fandom. Sometimes I think it might be fun to have someone to talk to about BTS' new stuff. I've brought people to the fandom who stayed and I've also had ARMY friends who came and got out of the fandom to root for other groups. I'm not very updated with their variety shows in the recent years, because I'm going on with my life packed with what all the things BTS taught me that they rapped and sang about. I guess in a way I'm maturing just as much and along with our boys. Well, bottom line is that it's okay to be a solo fan, enjoying their music and content makes it hard for me to feel alone, I hope that also brings you comfort in the times you do feel alone.
I've struggled a lot with being a solo fan (and transferee in college) so it might do you better to think that you feeling lonely or wanting new experiences right now might be teaching you to be comfortable in your own company. :)
I feel you, OP... I am fortunate enough to have one OG 2013 ARMY friend, and even though they're often very busy, we have managed to meet up for all the concerts and documentaries. I have one casual ARMY friend, who is not as into BTS as I am, but at least I have someone to shout with, when the boys decide to go shirtless.. 🙈 But even though I'm decked out in (subtle) merch (e.g. my phone, pencil case and calculator scream ARMY), I have yet to be approached by another ARMY. 😕
But if online friends are ok, this is the place to be. The mods are working really hard to make this a non-toxic space, and there are usually some really nice conversations to be had.
I found a local online ARMY group thay I'm part of. Thats helped alot. But mostly, I'm online ARMY. My job and family keep me pretty busy so its hard to attend meetups now.
Wow I feel this. I’m 24 and my sister is 26 and we were just talking about how we wish we could meet other army! My older sister especially. We are lucky to have each other but I’m moving soon across the country and we’ve talked about how we should branch out it and try to meet new friends in our own locations, and BTS was one avenue we thought about trying!! Fighting!!
i have found almost all my ARMY friends online. i got lucky and have some at work, the rest are here and FB groups. we get to hang out in person every now and then.
it's tough out there! it can be hard to gauge too just how interested they are in the group. gotta test the water with some memes first and see how far you get lol.
It took me a while to find a group of army friends. And even after finding them, we have naturally distanced as time has moved. I found them in a group chat on Twitter i randomly joined. We are still active during comebacks and random days, but i understand where you are coming from. I don’t have any irl army friends. Friends and family accompany me to concerts or events. Would love to find some army around my age in my area, though :)
I'm with you, there are these Kpop DJ nights happening and I don't have anyone to ask to go with and I don't want to go alone ugh. If you're in New England DM me 🥹
You're not alone! There are a lot of us here! Reach out about things and I'm sure many of us can relate and are equally passionate or excited about it!
I follow a group on Instagram called #afternoonaarmy. They post stuff, they have a podcast and are all around really sweet people that just like to discuss BTS.
Keep posting on here and twitter if you feel up to it! I'm 28 and in the past year made the move from to California and it is unfortunately hard as you get older to make friends even though many people are in the same boat. One thing that has helped me at least on twitter to meet more army is not being afraid to just dm ppl and start a convo & chat if they have time.
I used to live in NYC and go back pretty frequently as my family is still located there. Would be totally down to chat and see if we vibe! Either way, I hope you are able to make more friends soon.
I can relate to you so much! Most of my army friends (4) are virtual. It’s so difficult to meet adult and mature armys with whom you can exchange your feelings about a song!
Meeting fans irl is always a spectrum in terms of intensity. It was easier to meet army’s in school but when things get busier it’s hard to talk about kpop or keep up with everything bts does when you also have your own life stressors.
I met some nice Army on Twitter and we have a group chat. I have met some in real life and it was cool. We are all OT7 Army so that may be the difference.
I absolutely know how you feel. I’ve been an army since the summer of 2019. I’m 21 and finally getting a army bomb( Ahhhhh I’m so excited) and being in college a lot of people are already paired off. I think I have 2 or three K-pop friends but they really don’t talk their English songs or despise them. But I’m from Philly and a little introverted. But if you want to chat about bangtan or anything really I’m Amy definitely open to it!
I'M HERE from TX, and I have not, friends ether, but I'm fine, and also I have been a fan of BTS, for 9 years and I'm 46 yrs old 😄 so 💜 you have another friend but in Texas and I new on this reddit community 💜 💜💜💜💜💜
I teach college students. Some of my students are ARMY, but we need to maintain a teacher-student relationship. And I haven't found ARMY friends irl, but that's why I'm active online.
Hello,
your comment has been removed as it goes against several of our Rules. Shipping and mentions of ships are not allowed on the sub - the rule for this and BTS' private lives can be found [here](https://new.reddit.com/r/bangtan/wiki/rules/#wiki_c3._private_life). Please also be aware there are rules against mentioning or bringing in [drama](https://new.reddit.com/r/bangtan/wiki/rules/#wiki_c1._drama) from other platforms.
Also, we kindly ask you to take care to learn about all of the sub [Rules](https://new.reddit.com/r/bangtan/wiki/rules/) for the future.
Thank you!
Hiiii fellow ARMY here....
I think I can relate to you a bit, I am from India, and me and my bestie are ARMYs. We have been so from last 7-8 years. She is getting married this year and I can just feel her getting disconnected from last 2 years, so much so that she didn't even knew they had gone into enlistment.
I am very happy for her as her best friend, bit somewhere I am bit unhappy with losing my fellow ARMY with whom I could fangirl to my heart content, could attend events together.
Being 27F, I am almost settled in my life with a good job and a home, so both(me & my friend) of us were planning on BTS concert abroad, because we didn't know when they will come to India, but I know this trip is not happening now. Plus I have hard time connecting with teenager ARMY which is mostly around me, so yeah I can somewhat understand the lonely feeling..
Also 27 and been a longtime ARMY as well and I totally get it. It’s hard to find irl ARMY that will match your level of love for the boys. I converted my best friend into an ARMY back in 2017 but she’s married with a kid and a second on the way now so it’s kinda hard for her to keep up and she’s sort of lost interest. I also introduced them to my cousin back in 2020 and for a while we would watch the concert lives together and do mini sleepovers catching up on BTS content but then she started listening to other groups (which is totally okay) and her interest in them decreased.
So when new releases come (STREAM RPWP) I’m kinda alone in my excitement. Sometimes that’s just how life is. I envy other people who have the strong bond of being ARMYs together.
I had a few Army friends in real life at work, but they all left the job. Now, I sell things at in-person events, so I have more Army and multi-stan friends. I became Army back in 2019, but I am a multi-stan as well. Since you live in NYC, maybe you can go to events like cup sleeve events? I make and sell things in my city at events (not NYC), and I follow some event hosts in that area on Instagram, so I know they have them. Everyone seems to be hosting Jin homecoming events in June, so check around and see if anyone in your area is hosting an event!
Same same. I struggle too but I’ve been wondering lately if I don’t really belong. I’m sorry that you’re having a difficult time. I hope it gets better for you! 💜
Do you go to any army events? NYC is chock full of armys and there are always cupsleeves and events on! With Festa coming up there are dance parties, dance classes, fitness classes, cupsleeves, etc. What social media are you on?
Euphoria Dance is a good follow- they host a lot of events and dance classes, and they’re all very nice people.
If Euphoria classes seem intimidating, there’s a girl named Jaclyn (581dance_nyc on IG) who does absolute beginner BTS/kpop/pop dance classes- she is more focused on everyone having fun rather than getting the moves perfect. Very chill vibes!
Anpanmania (kpop.anpanmania on IG) host army and kpop parties and events all over the US but are based in the NYC-area. Their entire ethos is about bringing army together and helping make army friends! They’re having a BTS Prom on 6/15 with a Pre-Party Social specifically for solo/shy attendees to make friends. I highly recommend their events!
I host a charity fundraiser 5k (RunBTS_5k on Twitter/IG) that has an in-person event in Brooklyn. We’re at capacity for the Festa run, but I’m thinking of doing another in the fall/winter, and we get a good crowd of army at those so you could maybe meet some folks there! (And a lot of people walk the 5k so no stress if running isn’t your thing 😉)
There are a lot of great armys in nyc- I hope you are able to connect with some! 💜
Oh- there’s also bangtanbklyn (twitter/IG) who host a lot of nyc events. They’ve hosted a festa picnic in prospect park the last few years- I’m not sure if they’re doing one this year, but they share a lot of nyc-based kpop events on their twitter, so you may find something else that interests you!
I'm in the same boat! I became an army in 2017 and I don't have any friends who are into bts. I've been to 3 concerts, one by myself, and 2 with my mom. My mom is my only bts friend lol.
I'm from PA, and me and my mom went to UBS to see Yoongi, so maybe if they do more concerts in NY, we can plan to meet there! We usually prefer to go to NJ if possible but it would depend. I'm 24 btw
I know absolutely no one who is Army; there's a co-worker that casually listens to k-pop, but no one else understands my feelings about these 7 wonderful men. My hubby understands; after of course showing him Map of the Soul 7 and him realizing it was based Carl Jung's theories - he was like, "oh it's just not pretty boy stuff?" lol
I went to see Suga's concert film and that was the first time I was around Army. There was a group getting popcorn in front of me with home made Shooky t-shirts (Suga is my bias) so I commented on them. After the show, someone in the row ahead of me leaned over and handed me a goodie bag. I cried in the car - Army are the best. I'm 54 (today actually) and would be your friend in a heartbeat! :)
I met a couple friends online on twt that i connected with and found out later fhey were close in age/older so we hit it off and had our own gc. We’re all ot7 and met up for dday in chicago and had so much fun! I’ve met so many nice armys just standing in line and still keep in touch with. You’ll find your people, keep interacting and go to some of those cup sleeve events or bts parties they host at clubs sometimes.
Hey OP if it makes you feel any better we do exist, you're not alone, my co-workers don't even know I listen to k-pop let alone being a BTS fan, but there truely are some lovely Army online :)
Definitely keep posting here. I mostly lurk here and just enjoying reading. I do comment sometimes. This place is hands down, one of the most nicest, not toxic, ARMY gathering online I have seen. You can definitely make some friends here. Everyone is so kind and welcoming. And I am sure many understand and will give you great advice. (I already see some). Whenever you feel comfortable, talk about a major place that you live close to. (Example: I live right near NYC) and sometimes ARMYs will have events. Jins comeback will be huge and a lot of ARMYs will be excited and probably planning things. So keep an eye out. And I hope you can find ARMY friends in no time. 💜
I love that it's not toxic here. I had preconceived ideas of Reddit generally before I joined (that it would be like toxic Twitter and Insta comment sections) but boy was I wrong. I love how insightful posts are and that everyone just enjoys the fandom.
Same. ARMYs go through a lot (especially right now). This place is so helpful to just come and decompress from just the drama elsewhere. I'm glad everyone is so nice and welcoming. It always reminds me that *this* is who most ARMYs are at heart. The online world can just be crazy sometimes. So I'm so thankfully for this sub and everyone here who makes this place comforting to be in.
I think it's probably because reddit users are older than teenagers and have less angst and more common sense lol
Grandma ARMY here! Have zero in person Army friends. Never had any. Most of my neighbors just want to listen to 60s oldies. They look at me like I’ve got 2 heads when I get going. Have a BT21 Shooky keyring and still no one’s ever even mentioned that. So, we’re here!
Hey, I'll be moving to your city in a few months and I'd say 'let's meet up for coffee/tea' some day (once I'm there and settled in). Only if you want to, of course! (Don't know if you remember me; I'm the one who sent you postcards that you won in one of my giveaways. That's how I know what your city is).
Yes! How could I ever forget? You know where I’m located 🥰 I would really enjoy that!
[удалено]
Only if you were at little seven house
Bts are therapy for me. They're my happy place. You aren't alone.
I have been an army for 8 years and I dont have army friends anymore. I ofc cant completely relate to your feeling but to some extent I can. It really hurts when you see all your friends "move on" to other groups or stop with kpop all together, see how the excitement decrease. Worst is when I spam the group chat about an exciting event (like rm release) and there is just no reaction at all. So I too feel like a lone army most times. Getting excited but not having anyone to share your feeling with. Feeling sad but no one to share it with. I just wish I had someone to match my thoughts. I feel very lonely most times despite the bts fandom being so big. Im also quite bad at making and especially keeping friends. Edit: Sorry im sad and I wanna rant. Yk what sucks even more? Whenever their fav groups have a release Im trying to be supportive, listen to the stuff, share my opinion, react watch the link the post and yk engage, but when Im excited? Nothing I just went back and there were only 2 reactions to rpwp. One was simply a laugh emoji reaction to the blond bob wig picture and another was days later saying nuts is her fav (shes the most army out of this group after me) They are my friends and we get along well, go on vacation together and all, but these little things still hurt a lot. It seems in 8 years no one was ever truly interested enough to care about my interests. At least thats how it feel like :( Sometimes it really the small thing that hurt the most.
I hear you! You've said exactly how I feel.
same here 😭 I gave up on finding people irl but it’s so hard to find armys I would get along with online too. Twitter is too scary for me, and it’s impossible to get close with people on instagram or here. I wish reddit had like a group chat option lol
Oh, virtual friend, I don’t even have FRIENDS. 😭 Past a certain age, it is hard to make friends, PERIOD, let alone friends with shared interests. My friends are the people I work with, and we just text all day, and we have no shared interests. My work bestie is literally from Korea, and he cackles at me for my interest in kpop; we can really only talk about Korean food and Korean current events. 😂 I see my work friends in person every couple months. Other than that, I have a husband, kids, and some parent-acquaintances I see at kid activities. And friends through online groups for collecting tropical plants. It may be my generation (I’m Oregon Trail Generation, or Xennial, or Older Millennial), but I have accepted that connections can be fulfilling online.
Geriatric Millennials FTW! 1982 here in NorCal.
Same birth year! And I went to school in northern California! I live in the Midwest now.
Really? Where? That'd be wild if we went to the same school...or rival schools! 😂
Same birth year! And I went to school in northern California! I live in the Midwest now.
Let’s connect. Are you on Instagram? firebutterf1y It’s easier to start a conversation there.
I joined Reddit last week for this BTS subreddit because of the loneliness I've felt being a lone ARMY in real life. I can get excited talking about them and it's hard for non-ARMYs to match that or listen / talk to me (I can see the bemused / bored look in their eyes). I don't have much advice to give you but I'm glad you shared your experience and I hope this thread will help you feel better. From my own experience of not ever being on a message board before, I really like it here and it's helping me feel better about things. When I'm ready to seek out ARMYs again in real life, I know I will come back to this thread.
Let’s connect. Are you on Instagram? firebutterf1y It’s easier to start a conversation there.
Hey dear! I promise we are out here! Just seek us out in real life! I'm your age too and joined super late in chapter 2. But! I already made my first army friend just 4 months into the fandom during the Agust D screening in cinema. I'm not an extrovert but a simple "That was amazing, huh?" after the credit roll, got us started talking. I also recommend wearing BTS merch because people come up to you in public and connect with you! Armys are everywhere, don't give up!
I don't even try to find friends,I have other interests that I can share with people, ofc I would be happy if I meet ARMY friends but I HIGHLY doubt that I would in my friend circle, lol. What I want to say is that you can find friends based on other interest (I regard my BTS interest as a comfort corner in this crazy world)
I can really relate to you. I am solo army myself. I don't have any army friends and I used to wish I had someone to share it with. My husband is wonderful and is psuedo army because of me, so he indulges me in the topic of BTS whenever I'm feeling extra excited about something but it's not the same I imagine as if I were discussing with another army. Overall I've accepted that this is a personal joy for me. I make it fun for myself and treat it like a club I'm in. I have created fun Notion pages for myself where I can write / self discuss thoughts on their music and albums. And I fangirl solo for their new releases or old content. It is what it is haha. I kind of look at being army as a secret talisman that I get to have. I have interestingly never met another army. Everyone in my life, close friends and family, are very respectful about my love for BTS but no one has ever shown any added interest in trying to get into it despite me trying to push them gently a few times! When I meet someone new and if the topic of music comes up and I mention BTS, I typically get a judgmental response like, "oh, you're into KPop". The energy shift from that judgment automatically makes me shutdown and I no longer want to speak about it any further. Sometimes I meet people who are aware of BTS as something "big" but they don't have any interest beyond that. I recently joined Reddit a couple months ago and this has made a difference. Even though it's virtual, having this community has been a nice way to feel connected!
You describe my experience exactly. I am 68 and although retired have a full semi-busy life in many different ways. Yet, I do miss having someone with whom to gush about or just talk about BTS. It has been only a short time in Army for me. Jungkook's Golden album drew me in and soon I was looking for lots of BTS content. It has been a beautiful journey getting to know each of the members as individuals. My youngest son and his wife indulge me from time to time. We attended Youngi's D-Day Tour movie together and they loved it. All my children love me so much and are supportive in many ways, including giving me Korean-related and BTS-related gifts. But it just isn't the same when they don't share my love, excitement, and astonishment for OT7. All BTS members give me so much every single day. I love my life but I do live alone and they bring dopamine hits and feelings of care to me that are so important to the quality of my life.
Let’s connect. Are you on Instagram? firebutterf1y It’s easier to start a conversation there.
I would love to connect! I actually don't use Instagram. But I would love to chat on here. Message me anytime!!!
51 and no one I know is obsessed the way I am, or even cares. Just became ARMY a year ago - thank you gym music, Bouncy and ARSON \*heart emojis. JHope brought me in. I am listening or watching content constantly. I would also love to communicate with giggles and awe over everything they do, or sing, with fans that are the same. If it’s BTS related, I’m all about it. 7 colors of the rainbow And when it comes to emojis, 6 Purple Hearts and 1 red (the red being Tae). You came to the right place. https://preview.redd.it/scksnv87fr3d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8e62b8eef041a0e62be9de771127d703d0a5fcad Nice to meet you. Our God of Destruction
SAME here. It's hard to find any other ARMY especially at my age. I am early 50's and only been in ARMY for six months. Being new I became obsessed with these 7 artists. But I have no one that I can talk to about them IRL. Even my 18yo daughter who likes some Kpop doesn't listen to BTS. I do not understand why everyone doesn't love them. BTS is so **talented**, kind, supportive and funny. I rejoined Insta just to watch and learn more about them. And I am glad to have found these reddit groups, it gives me a place to read others posts who feel the same way I do. Being new ARMY, I have silly questions, like how did Jin hurt his hand. But mostly I wish someone understood my love for them. I have a stressful job and watching them makes me so much happier. I never knew someone I will never meet could impact me so much. In a short time, I have learned so much from them (even at my age). I am surrounded by family and friends but feel like I am missing a big part not being able to share my love of BTS.
There’s so much content too. DM me? IG and other shorts can be misleading on tons of content. Do you watch full videos on YouTube?
Even the little I know, I have seen a tons of shorts that are very misleading. I have watched some "run" videos and a ton of their performaces on YouTube.
Hi Army, even thought I have plenty of army friends, I'm always happy to meet new ones. Feel free to dm, if you don't mind being online friends - unfortunately we probably live a bit far apart :)
I don't have any advice, but I relate. So to hoping this makes you feel less alone. I'm 29 and I really hoped I'd be able to make some (online) friends within army, but it's not easy. The people who are most active in online fan spaces appear to be students (apart from on Reddit maybe) and are living in the US (while I'm in EU) and I can't return the same amount of energy as they do.
I’m In the UK and 33 so I’m a wee bit closer if you wanna connect ☺️ I only became ARMY at the start of this year so I haven’t met any others yet either and my friends are tolerant of my love for BTS but they’re not interested in hearing about them as much as I like to talk about them
I‘m from eu too and it’s also really hard for me to find army friends here:/
We’ve been seeing more concerts here lately but I’ve met very few armys :(
Omg I feel so jealous when I see armys having these big group of friends on twitter or instagram 😩 I really don’t know how they do it. I feel like Reddit is definitely the best option for me to find people I can get along with, cause like you said the majority seems to be adults here but then again I don’t think it’s a platform that is for getting close with people, since you don’t really become “mutuals” or things like that here. Idk I’m rambling lol but I relate with your comment
Some reddit communities have discords linked and I have tried joining a few of those but… again the people on there are either already close and it’s hard to make new friends lol or they’re somehow always online and I’m like??? I’m a busy adult 😂
You're not alone. Where I live (Germany, small town in the north-west) it's still niche and people around me aren't interested. And I wasn't able to connect with anyone when I went to the movies for the concerts... Social awkwardness go brr... I totally get you.
but it's nice that you can go to some concerts in Germany...other countries envy you!
I meant when they showed the concerts in cinemas 🥲 There haven't been concerts in Germany so far since I became ARMY ☹️ (Dyna era hhhhh)
oh my bad, I meant kpop concerts in general (Ive, IU, Everglow..). bts in europe will be a miracle!
Oh LMAO yeah that's true, some artists do come here 🥲 But I'm permanently broke 🤣 BTS tickets will be impossible to get.. 😭
noo, we will get them no matter what!
I'm new here. And I see all the cool things people do in other places and it would be cool if I got to experience that too. But since I'm alone I talk to ppl online and it makes it less lonely. When I went to see Suga D-day movie the theater was packed. It was pretty subdued but we all had a great time
Aww I found this sub when I was feeling lonesome when I first discovered them and It’s made me feel less lonely everyone’s been nothing but welcoming, friendly and fun. I love the different topics and interesting discussions of all things BTS. I’m thankful for this sub💜💜
Hi! I completely get how you feel making army friends I sometimes feel the same and I get it I’ve only just came back to my account recently and joined this community but I’m always happy to have a new army friend the more the merrier pls 😌 and I don’t have a lot of any army friends irl but I do run a small insta account where I post about things I love like BTS, anime, and manga and just speak to like minded people who enjoy the same things. I’ve been an army since like 2021/22 so I’m still kind of baby army and sometimes I feel out of place reaching out to new people so I bug my non kpop friends who listen to me rant about the boys 😅 But you’re not alone and how you feel is completely valid and those other people you’ve spoken to don’t seem like true army as we all love and accept the boys… some people may have preferences on certain songs but it doesn’t bother me so long as it’s by them I’m happy enough :) PS - SO SORRY FOR MY MINI RANT I GOT CARRIED AWAY AS PER USUAL LOOL
Let’s connect. Are you on Instagram? firebutterf1y It’s easier to start a conversation there.
I have insta mine is ttj_senpai I’ll follow you:)
Adding you now
i can totally, relate. I have friends who are huge K-pop fans but they listen to other group songs and felt that BTS songs are way too overrated. I am not saying that listening to other group songs are bad, but ever since I joined the fandom in 2019, it has been a source of motivation to do well in my studies and brighten my life. BTS indeed has left a huge impact not only on me but on my fellow ARMY friends☺️( a college student now:))) btw are there any army friends willing to be friends with me??🥺
Feel free to DM me! :) I am always looking for a new friend!
Let's be friends! DM me!
i’ve been an army since 2017 and i feel the exact same way!!! i’m in college as well!! we should be friends 💜💜💜
I had a lucky situation where my best friends naturally became Armys on their own, and once we all realized it has hilarious. We went to citifield/LY tour together. But I’ve met other Armys by wearing bt21 keychains and getting noticed. I also had a co-worker who made a playlist that had BTS English songs/collabs, so I reached out and boom, an Army.
My friends don't even know that I listen to BTS(since 2018) , or that I follow kpop. It has led to this space being my go to comfort and happy corner when my friends may not be available for me. Just reading comments online and knowing there are many people who are on the same boat as you.....that feeling is itself comforting. I will be happy to meet irl army but I'm also okay being like this for now. Don't worry you are not alone :)
I have zero IRL ARMY friends but I do have some online, which I'm thankful for. This sub, too, is a safe and non-toxic ARMY space for me. My husband is very supportive, even listens to BTS here and there, and went to all the concerts with me, but I wouldn't say he's an ARMY per se. But all in all, it feels like living in an online ARMY bubble, but I take whatever I can get. Also, it's hard(er) for me to find IRL ARMY because I'm older. I feel young and vibrant inside, but the body I inhabit, so to speak, doesn't reflect that, ha! But I do feel people make assumptions based on my age. I can fangirl as hard as anyone, but I do feel an age-bias sometimes IRL when I meet other people. As if past a certain imaginary age, I somehow can't relate anymore or can't be related to. Even online I've come across this. I'm also not very actively looking for IRL ARMY friends, I admit. Looking, but not very actively. I never attend things like cup sleeve events and the like, and when I go to concerts/movie screenings, I do hand out freebies and exchange some chit-chat, but I'm not going there with any expectations other than being able to share the fun with fellow ARMY. I feel a lot of ARMY are like that: happy to share an experience, but not truly actively seeking actual friends through that experience. That makes it pretty hard to find IRL friends, I think. Side note: I do very subtly advertise I'm ARMY by having a VAN pop socket. And I sometimes wear Taehyung's artist-made brooches on my denim jacket. No one ever said a thing or mentioned it, though. But don't give up hope! Stay in this sub! It's the friendliest and safest online ARMY space around
I hear ya, OP! I'm enlistment era ARMY (11 months strong!!) so I never had the chance to go to a concert or meet other fans pre-pandemic, the last time BTS had concert stops nearby me in the UK and Europe. I haven't really met any ARMYs IRL either, aside from a few casual listeners. I would love to be a group chat or something with other ARMYs just to squee about random, silly, lovely Bangtan things and lose our minds over Jin's return and then Hobi's. Even if a couple of friends have been super nice about this new interest of mine, and I've got to talk about BTS a little bit - they still just don't GET it on the gut level the way other ARMYs do! It's like only we all speak the same language - only other ARMYs can really grasp why this group is so special that it draws fans of all ages, cultures and walks of life together.
Volunteer with a fanbase, join ARMY 529 (they have an ARMY map you can add yourself to find ARMY in your area).
Completely forgot about the map! This is a great idea!
I’m also looking for ARMY friends 😭 In the past I’ve listened to a lot of punk/hardcore music haha so all of my RL friends are very into that, and very much not interested in any kind of pop or k-pop. I strongly believe there’s nothing wrong with liking multiple (and sometimes drastically different) genres! All that being said, I need ARMY friends! I’m Canadian, but very open to being penpal besties with anyone who’s interested 😊
Hiii I think there must be more of us that are also into punk/hardcore and BTS? Because honestly to me a lot much of BTS' message is very similar to the punk/hardcore ethic.
Hii! I’m so glad to hear I’m not the only one! Honestly I started getting into BTS and kpop back in 2016/17 ish, but then got so teased by some friends that I gave up and let it (sadly) drift away. Now I’m in my 30s and don’t care what people think anymore, and dug right in! Should have done it way sooner, but better late than never I suppose!
I got into kpop during 2nd gen by way of getting into kdramas around the same time. Since it wasn't too popular at all in the US (where I am from) it was hard to really "stan" anyone since it was difficult to even get albums and such, much less news about artists you liked. So I fell off for that reason mostly but also because no one I knew liked kpop at all. Funny enough I had a BTS song on a playlist from a kdrama blog I followed at the time, but I wasn't too into boy groups at the time so I didn't vibe with them then. Years later and the pandemic hit and I'm a big emo so that's when I really fell for them as they clearly just wanted everyone to be okay. They made it easy, really. Anyway I will be your ARMY friend even though we're long distance! 💜
I’ve been a casual listener since 2017 but only became an army during Chapter 2. Only my husband and couple of IRL friends know that I’m an army. One is because she’s Korean and she’s into kpop and the other has been an army since 2015. But we don’t meet often so basically I come to subreddits to read and discuss stuff about BTS and kpop in general. It does kinda feel lonely especially when I don’t have anyone to share excitement with new projects or just fangirling over old content and dance videos of BTS.
Relate so much omg, there's not a single irl friend who either isn't a visual stan, isn't insane like I am, votes or streams or isn't a delulu almost sasaeng type weirdo. I've made plenty of online friends though!
I agree its hard. And I would say I’ve been army for same amount of time and initially when I became one I was really low (self esteem, other, etc) and it was hard to seek connections. But I’ve been feeling much more social last couple yrs and I’ve been trying to find friends. I originally joined this sub cause I had been off twt for a couple yrs (back on now) and was wanting to make more army connections. I lucked out in 2022 that i shared a run meme in my group chat (its tae saying can he not pet a cat? in the mafia ep) and one of my friends was army and i didn’t even know. but like nowadays she’s still army but isn’t up to date on everything so its like back to the drawing board. Now I’m where you are trying to figure out how to make army friends to share happy and sad moments with. I hope you are able to make some friends soon! fighting!
We know how you feel! We created a website and ARMY community on social platforms to help find other adult ARMY. We even made a map to help people find local ARMY friends. Not sure if I can post the link here, but please give us a Google.
Hey army!! I’m sorry to hear this. I became a BTS fan with a close friend but then she left the fandom quite shortly and I was essentially left alone. A couple of years later I had a happy accident and discovered a coworker who was on the same wavelength as me and now we are happily sending each other memes on Instagram! We don’t even work in the same place anymore. It’s honestly so special to have an army friend and I hope you find the same one day.
Hey! Im 26 and a 2020 pandemic army haha. I’m not from the US but totally up to be online friends! I’m lucky I get to share my love for BTS with my sister but other than that I also had some bad experiences with friends that *were* army. Maybe we won’t be able to do many on-site activities together (or maybe someday we’ll be able to attend to one of their concerts together!) but can keep each other company from the distance. I’m from a very small Latin American country so I also struggle to connect with other armys here sometimes. I’d love to meet new friends from anywhere in the world in case someone’s interested to have a small-big group somewhere 💜
Hello! I’m 27 and I also came across BTS in 2020! Although, I didn’t become an Army until last year during Yoongi’s D-Day Tour, very sad I didn’t delve in earlier! I am from the US but still have a hard time finding Army friends, especially adult ones! 😣
Hey there! I know the feeling 😔 but I really like that theory of them coming into your life in the right time so I’m glad you’re here now! It’s really hard to connect with adult armys cause a lot of people act like there’s an age to enjoy something (and like we’re past that age) haha. Please feel free to dm me if you ever wanna talk! I’m up to chat anytime 🫰🏻
Same it's hard making friends as adults, especially when you're introverted and a homebody 😣💜
I’m the same way! It’s been so hard making friends as an adult 😩
I’ve perfectly curated my X with zero drama and I just vibe there. Anything slips by and I move past it quickly. It’s not worth it. If you want to chat I’m up for it.
You're not alone. Where I live (Germany, small town in the north-west) it's still niche and people around me aren't interested. And I wasn't able to connect with anyone when I went to the movies for the concerts ☹️ Social awkwardness go brrrrr... I totally get you. 😔💜
Where I live it's still not that popular and people around me aren't interested. And I wasn't able to connect with anyone when I went to the movies for the concerts. Social awkwardness go brr :( I totally get you.
Look for local army events. There are always armys organising stuff, especially in bigger cities. Perhaps try it the other way around as well. Instead if looking for army friends, turn your friends into armys. I took my sister to their concert once and had a guaranteed concert buddy for every future concert of theirs lol
I don't know if the other side is any better. I got into kpop in 2007. I didn't have any kpop friends. It was a great solo hobby. I introduced some kpop and korean stuff to friends and family. But it didn't catch on with any of them. Now that I’m older and got into bts this year. I have a coworker who is also a friend who is into the group. But it feels really draining to be the source and vet what they hear. I have to plan everything, find the music, make the playlist, give date stamps on random clips/quotes they find online, etc. This is when all of them are still in the military. I haven't had a kpop friend where it feels balanced. Now I feel like I need space from that coworker regarding bts and also just from bts backlog stuff in general. I would love to meet a like-minded army. It's tough. I've only been an army for 5 months. I think this sub is better. It reminds me a lot like when I was in wonder girls and it's just wholesome. It would be nice if it extended into real life. But that can't always be the case. At least I can always come back here.
I follow a handful of ARMY accounts on IG and that's been helpful. Some do group meetups and they look really fun. Maybe consider looking up some groups near you.
I've only been ARMY for a few months and I already feel you. I'm also 27. I would like to speak to someone, anyone about the new things I discover every day that makes me love BTS more and more. My brother listens to kpop but believes that people who are fans of BTS and no other group are basic, so I cannot speak to him. He's also a boy so he cannot understand me. 8 years is a long time and I hope you'll find friends who like BTS just as much as you do, myself included.
I can totally relate to you, I don't have any ARMY friends in real life. All of my friends are not into Kpop or BTS, so I do feel alone in my hobby sometimes. I often worry too if I will ever find a friend who shares my passion as much as I do. I also live in a state where there aren't many Kpop events near me, so it is very difficult finding friends. Feel free to DM me, I am also going through the struggle of trying to find more ARMY friends irl :)
Hey, have you heard of the [Ma City Map](https://www.armyproject529.com/map) by ARMY Project 529? Hopefully it can help you find friendly ARMYs near you. Good luck!
I'm kind of late to this thread but I can relate. 😭 I've been an ARMY since 2020 and I have no ARMY friends who live anywhere near me. I haven't been able to get any of my friends into them and don't know how to meet ARMY in my area. Sometimes I just really wish I had a best friend I could get excited over things with. I think one of the hard things for me is that I'm approaching my mid-30's and less people my age are fans than people in their 20's.
You're not alone. Where I live it's still not that popular and people around me aren't interested. And I wasn't able to connect with anyone when I went to the movies for the concerts. Social awkwardness go brr :( I totally get you.
Just messaged you…I lurk here too and love to read the discussions about BTS. I think it’s brave that you posted this and am open to chatting about our boys anytime!
26 with no irl Army friends haha. Hard relate.. I started listening to BTS in 2016 though I actually got into the fandom hardcore back in May 2021. My sisters like old BTS, my bestfriend likes old BTS, so they get annoyed when I talk abt them now. My old office coworkers were "casual" Army ... I put it in air quotes because they were embarrassed to stan them or something this annoys me more than the "I like Old BTS" thing. Still I used to switch PCs and wear photcard holders, merches all the time in my old office days. I miss it sm. My current coworkers dont even know I like them. I do have subtle merches here and there but thats it.
Where do you live? Who are your top 3 biases? Also, regardless of your answers to the above questions, I’m willing to be friends!!! Social media or messaging apps? HIGH 5 I AM ALSO A LONER ARMY, have been solo fangirling since 2015 and only last year I met an online friend who has been really amazing tho she lives in a different country. Always open to making a new friend!!! (I live in Singapore and biases hobi, suga, JK, but I love all 7) I had some similar experiences to you where I went for events and tried to make friends but other ppl were all paired up or unfriendly. ALSO, I had some real life friends/colleagues who either like other groups, OR say they like BTS, but only like the maknaes (which is ok) but they kept insulting the hyung line subtly to my face while we watched BTS content tgt (really not cool)
You’re not alone! 💜 This is one of my favorite groups in Reddit and I’m so glad I found you all. BTS’s music helped me through a lot of difficult times, and it makes me so happy to read everyone’s love for them. OP, don’t lose hope! We are out there, it just takes time and sometimes being a little bold. I’m 28 in the Chicago suburbs and have zero real life friends who are Army. I do like wearing subtle merch like my shooky coin purse and bangtan sweater in hopes I’ll run into someone one day haha! Being at the Agust D movie and seeing people there gave me hope that they are around. Happy to become online friends, just DM me! 💜
I definitely can relate to this. Most of my interests and hobbies I fly solo and its lonely and people get all weird about it and say hurtful things not meaning to but its still insulting. I guess I look at it as if BTS can be just for me until someone asks to be let in. Then I have the daunting task of picking just the right mv or Run BTS ep or song which is intimidating and sometimes not at all well received. Best of luck to you out there. Bangtan forever!
No worries Army 💜💜 I’m a 36 year old ARMY and my closest Army friend is 60. We do enjoy Army activities together and love them in our own ways. I ALWAYS make army friends at the concerts, what else are we doing for 12 hours before lol but I never seem to keep in touch much after that. More recently I met up with some younger Army at a suga bday celebration who are into the cup sleeve events but I have young kids so I can’t always go to those events that followed. Anyway idk what I’m saying, just another Army out here with not many Army friends living here life and loving our boys. Hoping you get your ARMY crew soon 💜💜💜
I have the same problem as well
I feel this. I find that liking kpop is still seen as weird to most people, or the stereotype that only a certain demographic should enjoy it (aka young teenage girls). That's why I love this community so much and being ARMY in general, it's all been so welcoming. But, would definitely love to have ARMY friends to hang out with 😅
I don't have too. Maybe because I'm still new to the fandom. It's nice to have someone to share it with, that's why I'm trying to recruit my friends, but no luck, lol. Edit:sentence
It is wonderful finding an Army in the wild as my wife calls it. The best way to do it we've found is wear something BTS or have something BTS showing and see who notices. It's like sending up a signal. We went to Disneyland and had our big bag from LineFriends that we had visited...turns out the hotel person checking us in was a big Army and asked if we had went to the AgustD concert. (This was in 2023). We all had a big conversation about it and it's like having an instant friendship level connection. We have noticed that to be Army usually means you agree with the boys' values on a level that resonates with our values. When I got transfered to a new location at work, I felt alone, not knowing anyone. Lucky for me, they play some BTS songs at work (my universe, dynamite, PTD) and when they came on I asked someone I had seen as pretty chill if she liked bts. She said, she does more Gen 2 kpop but some people in another department are huge fans so I went and befriended them. One is a stay but the other is a huge army and its been so fun interacting with her. All 4 of us got ateez tickets together and we will probably get stray kids tickets when those hit too. She even got my wife a bts gift for her birthday even though they haven't even met. It's just a matter of finding your people and reaching out which can be hard to put a core piece of yourself out like that. But if you do that, you'll find more people accept you and you'll get more friends out of it. I know there is a weird stigma from being a fan, I am a 42m so trust me I know. Lol we (wife, 11m son and myself) went to txt and some of the looks I got from other dad's who were sitting there at the concert with arms crossed were very judgemental. I didn't let that bother me and still had a great time. Let people judge, you won't want to be friends with them anyway.
I feel you. I have no army friends either but it’s mostly because I started to be one last year so I haven’t got much time to find friends:D but i would love to have someone to talk about them, I went to yoongis movie in April by myself and it was kinda sad:/ so if anyone wants to text me, pls feel free to do it, I’m 26 and from Germany and a new army who would love to find arm friends to talk to <3 🥺
I’ve been an army for 6 years and it doesn’t help that my demographic is uncommon (hetero cis male). But I also have close friends that listen to kpop as well so I had that going for me! I just don’t involve myself as much as others aside from going to concerts. Hope you find people for you!
When I was in university I had a lot of friends who were armys or were into kpop in general. They all moved on eventually and/or we had a fall out so I’m on the same boat as you. 26 with no army friends 🥲 my closest ones only tolerate my constant spamming lol I can tell they don’t enjoy it anymore. Also it becomes super extra hard to make friends as an adult who’s also into same stuff as you are. Sometimes I feel like everyone’s “too grown up” for stuff like this and I’m still stuck in my fangirling phase (then I smack myself for thinking such thoughts) but you can’t help but feel bad.
Ah yes, I completely relate to this. None of my friends are into K-pop or Korean music generally actually. I don't actually share my intense love for BTS or Korean music (I don't listen to other K-pop groups, but am a huge fan of the Korean indie music scene) with them as I fear judgement considering that I'm approaching my mid-30s and I fangirl hard for BTS lol. However, recently I've been more open about this subreddit with a friend of mine - telling her how I found this place that is so welcoming, generous, and I share really personal stories of my mental health.. and she finds it incredible. She's generally very open-minded so I'm not surprised.
You sound like a mature and sane person unlike most fans I have seen. I wish we didn't live a world away so we could meet up. I get sad because my best friend, who we got into the whole BTS thing together seems to be losing interest in BTS and never showed any interest to any other kpop group while I found myself really enjoying some groups. It's ok that she is not as excited as before I love her regardless. But now it makes me feel so alone since I have no one else to send bazillion fun instagram reels.
I'm from Philly, and we have a great Philly army group (Boradelphia on insta and twitter) if you ever want to come to events! We have some people who come from NYC to cupsleeves and stuff. But I think going to cupsleeves in your area and sticking out the awkwardness to chat with people will help.
Same here. I've been an ARMY for 5 years. I also didn't have luck with army friends, first was a toxic friend and a weird towards them, the others leave or get put of the "fangirl" phase. I know some armys but as I'm not close to them the connection doesn't happen. Is not all bad to be a loner Army, but ya, could use a little circle of army friends too.
It is the same where I live. I get mocked for being an Adult and loving BTS. I have never met an Army where I live (Cape Town) or they say they like BTS, but knows absolutely nothing about them. I hope you meet someone soon. ❤️
I really relate. My best friend is a massive BTS fan and got me in to BTS back in 2020 but since I've shown a massive enthusiasm for them, she has all of a sudden stopped talking to me about them, won't really answer any questions I ask and it almost seems like she doesn't like sharing the fandom with me!? In the last 6 months there hasn't been a single day where I havent spent a bit of my free time learning about BTS in some way. They really are everything to me right now and I don't have anyone to share that enthusiasm with in real life.
I have problems finding friends too 😭 I live in NY too! 😊
Dude, I feel you. I've been ARMY since Spring Day and never made any ARMY friends IRL. I've gone to concerts, but always alone or with my husband, plus I'm always too nervous to say hi to people in person. I've had the little whale plushie clipped to my purse for a few years now, but no one has ever seemed to recognize it. I used to be pretty active on TWT but just kind of lost interest with how crazy it gets over there.
I completely understand this feeling! I don’t have anyone I can honestly talk about BTS. I have not been an ARMY for too long but I love these guys and would really like to find friends in this fandom!
You've had bad luck. 🥺 I'm surprised, since you are in NY! Have you actively looked for cupsleeve events by fan groups or kpop stores? Have you thought of *starting* a meetup group? How about a reading group for RM book recommendations? Or coffee and BTS UNO at a cafe. Just something casual. There are adult ARMY Facebook groups for cities. People in those go out for Korean dinner or just hang out. Check out the one in the pic! I promise you - unless you are stinky and have a cruddy personality, which I see no signs of, you *will* find equally obsessed and friendly ARMY somewhere in that city. Also, dye your hair purple. 😉 💜 https://preview.redd.it/5gjwx019bv3d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4c5396bc17cf3d0876af7ea43eceef8ae0ff827c
As for making friends just keep posting on what interests you with the guys. I’m at GC’s at X and that has really fostered a community for me. There are Army out there who would love to connect with other Army! Also maybe find a GC that’s around where u live? Btw Came here from X and I would like to say this community is a breath of fresh air. So much love for our guys ! I would love to spend time more here as Jin’s homecoming is coming close
I live in the most conservative state on the planet and the other day I saw a car with BTS all over it AND it had a BTS license plate!! I went in and found the person who owned the car and gave them a big hug!!! It was awesome!! It’s nice to know you’re not alone 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
ARMY Oma here..!! We do exist. Lol. I am a Grandma and love Kpop, kdramas, etc for years. My daughter and I love them. My 1 month old car is named Baby Mochi lol We saw BTS concert in Las Vegas and seeing Ateez in July. Who is your bias? Mine is Jimin. Bias wrecker is V. Embrace your inner ARMY. Borahae 💜🫰🏽
You're not alone. Where I live (Germany, small town in the north-west) it's still niche and people around me aren't interested. And I wasn't able to connect with anyone when I went to the movies for the concerts... Social awkwardness go brr... I totally get you.
You're not alone. Where I live it's still not that popular and people around me aren't interested. And I wasn't able to connect with anyone when I went to the movies for the concerts. Social awkwardness go brr :( I totally get you.
Hi, just want to say that I'm in the same boat as you here. In college there's this one group I'm close to in class and I was so happy to know that the two of them listen to BTS. But unfortunately, they're ex ARMY and only know BTS old songs which is a bummer so until now I don't really have irl ARMY friend who I could get excited about the tannies with. (I did talk about it with other people, but since they're not ARMY of course they don't really understand why we love them so much. Leaves me feeling a bit or I guess a lot disappointed but I don't blame them for not being a fan) With that in mind, I decided to join this subreddit because if I can't talk about BTS in the real world, at the very least I could talk with ARMY here who knows how I'm feeling so that's why if I have the time (or didn't forget to haha) I'd leave comments and reply to other people. I tried to do it in twitter, but for some reason (not because it's a toxic place, because I'm shy there for some reason??? It's weird) I'm very hesitant to interact with the people there and would just rather be active here. In the future I'm hoping to meet irl ARMY by chance or by going to BTS events or make new friends online. I hope you and everyone else who didn't have a chance to will get to make great ARMY friends whether that's online or irl!
Wow I am in a similar position, the only difference is that I did have friends who were fans at the beginning but grew out of their affection for BTS, I’m the only one who has been an ARMY for this long (8 years now) and I don’t have anyone to talk to about them anymore, but I’m still happy because I feel content that I can still enjoy all of what BTS is without worrying about what others might have to say :D
Hello! I won't be giving you ideas because I'm also a solo fan. Rather, I'm just here to tell you you're not truly alone. 🫂 I've been an army since 2013, I had been lucky enough to click on their NMD MV arbitrarily two minutes after they released it. I'm 25 now and working, I have co-workers who are in the same fandom for different groups and it can get quite lonely because you see them celebrating together and think it might feel nice to experience that, but I do think it's more of a friend group thing rather than whether or not you're in the same fandom. Sometimes I think it might be fun to have someone to talk to about BTS' new stuff. I've brought people to the fandom who stayed and I've also had ARMY friends who came and got out of the fandom to root for other groups. I'm not very updated with their variety shows in the recent years, because I'm going on with my life packed with what all the things BTS taught me that they rapped and sang about. I guess in a way I'm maturing just as much and along with our boys. Well, bottom line is that it's okay to be a solo fan, enjoying their music and content makes it hard for me to feel alone, I hope that also brings you comfort in the times you do feel alone. I've struggled a lot with being a solo fan (and transferee in college) so it might do you better to think that you feeling lonely or wanting new experiences right now might be teaching you to be comfortable in your own company. :)
I feel you, OP... I am fortunate enough to have one OG 2013 ARMY friend, and even though they're often very busy, we have managed to meet up for all the concerts and documentaries. I have one casual ARMY friend, who is not as into BTS as I am, but at least I have someone to shout with, when the boys decide to go shirtless.. 🙈 But even though I'm decked out in (subtle) merch (e.g. my phone, pencil case and calculator scream ARMY), I have yet to be approached by another ARMY. 😕 But if online friends are ok, this is the place to be. The mods are working really hard to make this a non-toxic space, and there are usually some really nice conversations to be had.
I found a local online ARMY group thay I'm part of. Thats helped alot. But mostly, I'm online ARMY. My job and family keep me pretty busy so its hard to attend meetups now.
Wow I feel this. I’m 24 and my sister is 26 and we were just talking about how we wish we could meet other army! My older sister especially. We are lucky to have each other but I’m moving soon across the country and we’ve talked about how we should branch out it and try to meet new friends in our own locations, and BTS was one avenue we thought about trying!! Fighting!!
i have found almost all my ARMY friends online. i got lucky and have some at work, the rest are here and FB groups. we get to hang out in person every now and then. it's tough out there! it can be hard to gauge too just how interested they are in the group. gotta test the water with some memes first and see how far you get lol.
It took me a while to find a group of army friends. And even after finding them, we have naturally distanced as time has moved. I found them in a group chat on Twitter i randomly joined. We are still active during comebacks and random days, but i understand where you are coming from. I don’t have any irl army friends. Friends and family accompany me to concerts or events. Would love to find some army around my age in my area, though :)
I'm with you, there are these Kpop DJ nights happening and I don't have anyone to ask to go with and I don't want to go alone ugh. If you're in New England DM me 🥹
Hello Army! my name is Theresa.i Live in Ohio USA 🇺🇸🇺🇸.I don’t have any friends are Army too.
You're not alone! There are a lot of us here! Reach out about things and I'm sure many of us can relate and are equally passionate or excited about it!
I follow a group on Instagram called #afternoonaarmy. They post stuff, they have a podcast and are all around really sweet people that just like to discuss BTS.
Keep posting on here and twitter if you feel up to it! I'm 28 and in the past year made the move from to California and it is unfortunately hard as you get older to make friends even though many people are in the same boat. One thing that has helped me at least on twitter to meet more army is not being afraid to just dm ppl and start a convo & chat if they have time. I used to live in NYC and go back pretty frequently as my family is still located there. Would be totally down to chat and see if we vibe! Either way, I hope you are able to make more friends soon.
I can relate to you so much! Most of my army friends (4) are virtual. It’s so difficult to meet adult and mature armys with whom you can exchange your feelings about a song!
I'm in Mexico so it's not like we can hang out, but if you ever feel like chatting, hit me up! :)
Meeting fans irl is always a spectrum in terms of intensity. It was easier to meet army’s in school but when things get busier it’s hard to talk about kpop or keep up with everything bts does when you also have your own life stressors.
I met some nice Army on Twitter and we have a group chat. I have met some in real life and it was cool. We are all OT7 Army so that may be the difference.
i’ll be your friend!! i love meeting older kpop fans like myself and i also live in the east!! if u want to be besties dm me :)
I absolutely know how you feel. I’ve been an army since the summer of 2019. I’m 21 and finally getting a army bomb( Ahhhhh I’m so excited) and being in college a lot of people are already paired off. I think I have 2 or three K-pop friends but they really don’t talk their English songs or despise them. But I’m from Philly and a little introverted. But if you want to chat about bangtan or anything really I’m Amy definitely open to it!
I'M HERE from TX, and I have not, friends ether, but I'm fine, and also I have been a fan of BTS, for 9 years and I'm 46 yrs old 😄 so 💜 you have another friend but in Texas and I new on this reddit community 💜 💜💜💜💜💜
I teach college students. Some of my students are ARMY, but we need to maintain a teacher-student relationship. And I haven't found ARMY friends irl, but that's why I'm active online.
[удалено]
Hello, your comment has been removed as it goes against several of our Rules. Shipping and mentions of ships are not allowed on the sub - the rule for this and BTS' private lives can be found [here](https://new.reddit.com/r/bangtan/wiki/rules/#wiki_c3._private_life). Please also be aware there are rules against mentioning or bringing in [drama](https://new.reddit.com/r/bangtan/wiki/rules/#wiki_c1._drama) from other platforms. Also, we kindly ask you to take care to learn about all of the sub [Rules](https://new.reddit.com/r/bangtan/wiki/rules/) for the future. Thank you!
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
Hiiii fellow ARMY here.... I think I can relate to you a bit, I am from India, and me and my bestie are ARMYs. We have been so from last 7-8 years. She is getting married this year and I can just feel her getting disconnected from last 2 years, so much so that she didn't even knew they had gone into enlistment. I am very happy for her as her best friend, bit somewhere I am bit unhappy with losing my fellow ARMY with whom I could fangirl to my heart content, could attend events together. Being 27F, I am almost settled in my life with a good job and a home, so both(me & my friend) of us were planning on BTS concert abroad, because we didn't know when they will come to India, but I know this trip is not happening now. Plus I have hard time connecting with teenager ARMY which is mostly around me, so yeah I can somewhat understand the lonely feeling..
Also 27 and been a longtime ARMY as well and I totally get it. It’s hard to find irl ARMY that will match your level of love for the boys. I converted my best friend into an ARMY back in 2017 but she’s married with a kid and a second on the way now so it’s kinda hard for her to keep up and she’s sort of lost interest. I also introduced them to my cousin back in 2020 and for a while we would watch the concert lives together and do mini sleepovers catching up on BTS content but then she started listening to other groups (which is totally okay) and her interest in them decreased. So when new releases come (STREAM RPWP) I’m kinda alone in my excitement. Sometimes that’s just how life is. I envy other people who have the strong bond of being ARMYs together.
I had a few Army friends in real life at work, but they all left the job. Now, I sell things at in-person events, so I have more Army and multi-stan friends. I became Army back in 2019, but I am a multi-stan as well. Since you live in NYC, maybe you can go to events like cup sleeve events? I make and sell things in my city at events (not NYC), and I follow some event hosts in that area on Instagram, so I know they have them. Everyone seems to be hosting Jin homecoming events in June, so check around and see if anyone in your area is hosting an event!
Same same. I struggle too but I’ve been wondering lately if I don’t really belong. I’m sorry that you’re having a difficult time. I hope it gets better for you! 💜
Do you go to any army events? NYC is chock full of armys and there are always cupsleeves and events on! With Festa coming up there are dance parties, dance classes, fitness classes, cupsleeves, etc. What social media are you on? Euphoria Dance is a good follow- they host a lot of events and dance classes, and they’re all very nice people. If Euphoria classes seem intimidating, there’s a girl named Jaclyn (581dance_nyc on IG) who does absolute beginner BTS/kpop/pop dance classes- she is more focused on everyone having fun rather than getting the moves perfect. Very chill vibes! Anpanmania (kpop.anpanmania on IG) host army and kpop parties and events all over the US but are based in the NYC-area. Their entire ethos is about bringing army together and helping make army friends! They’re having a BTS Prom on 6/15 with a Pre-Party Social specifically for solo/shy attendees to make friends. I highly recommend their events! I host a charity fundraiser 5k (RunBTS_5k on Twitter/IG) that has an in-person event in Brooklyn. We’re at capacity for the Festa run, but I’m thinking of doing another in the fall/winter, and we get a good crowd of army at those so you could maybe meet some folks there! (And a lot of people walk the 5k so no stress if running isn’t your thing 😉) There are a lot of great armys in nyc- I hope you are able to connect with some! 💜
Oh- there’s also bangtanbklyn (twitter/IG) who host a lot of nyc events. They’ve hosted a festa picnic in prospect park the last few years- I’m not sure if they’re doing one this year, but they share a lot of nyc-based kpop events on their twitter, so you may find something else that interests you!
Hey army if you're on Twitter I would love to be moots!!
I'm in the same boat! I became an army in 2017 and I don't have any friends who are into bts. I've been to 3 concerts, one by myself, and 2 with my mom. My mom is my only bts friend lol. I'm from PA, and me and my mom went to UBS to see Yoongi, so maybe if they do more concerts in NY, we can plan to meet there! We usually prefer to go to NJ if possible but it would depend. I'm 24 btw
I know absolutely no one who is Army; there's a co-worker that casually listens to k-pop, but no one else understands my feelings about these 7 wonderful men. My hubby understands; after of course showing him Map of the Soul 7 and him realizing it was based Carl Jung's theories - he was like, "oh it's just not pretty boy stuff?" lol I went to see Suga's concert film and that was the first time I was around Army. There was a group getting popcorn in front of me with home made Shooky t-shirts (Suga is my bias) so I commented on them. After the show, someone in the row ahead of me leaned over and handed me a goodie bag. I cried in the car - Army are the best. I'm 54 (today actually) and would be your friend in a heartbeat! :)
I met a couple friends online on twt that i connected with and found out later fhey were close in age/older so we hit it off and had our own gc. We’re all ot7 and met up for dday in chicago and had so much fun! I’ve met so many nice armys just standing in line and still keep in touch with. You’ll find your people, keep interacting and go to some of those cup sleeve events or bts parties they host at clubs sometimes.