The best of BTS on Disney Plus

At the start of their decade-long career, fans of Korean group BTS couldn’t just turn on a western streaming service like Disney Plus and stream concerts or behind-the-scenes documentaries featuring their favorite music artists. Not only did Disney Plus not exist in 2013, but the Bangtan Boys also lacked the resources that would allow them to easily emerge in the industry in Korea, let alone on the other side of the planet, on the world’s largest music market. At the time, BTS was an underdog group that grew out of Big Hit Entertainment, a small music company rather than one of Korea’s “Big Three” music companies (JYP, SM, and YG) that received the most mainstream exposure. Because of this, much of BTS’ early interaction with fans – especially internationally – came through their own YouTube channelwhere they connected with fans through vlogs even before their official ‘debut’ as a group.

Today is BTS the largest group in the world – even if they take a break from group activities to focus on solo music and complete their mandatory military service. And their small music company, Big Hit Entertainment, has grown into a global media company called HYBE. They still release much of their content through YouTube (their global popularity also allowed HYBE to become a full web platform called Weavers), but have occasionally made distribution deals with other platforms. The biggest of these deals is with Disney Plus, which launched in late 2019 and is currently available in 60 countries around the world.

Last July, HYBE announced a partnership deal with Disney that would see “five major content titles” from the Korean music company will receive distribution on the global streaming platform. Less than a year later, Disney Plus has released four of its five planned BTS-centric titles. Whether you’re a BTS fan who hasn’t yet fully dived into BTS’ story or you’re just a Disney Plus subscriber curious about the band that has taken over the world, here’s a guide to what you can learn about the K-pop superstars on the streaming platform.

BTS: Permission to Dance on Stage – LA

Recommended for: Every BTS fan.

Since their debut, BTS have been known within the K-pop industry for their creative, energetic and meticulously executed live performances. BTS Permission to dance at Stage LA gives viewers at home a taste of the experience of seeing one of those performances in person. The concert movie, directed by Sam Wrench and Jun-Soo Park, was filmed at SoFi Stadium in late November 2022, during the group’s first in-person concert series in over two years.

The Permission to Dance on Stage tour, named after a song from 2021, would run 11 nights at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium, Seoul’s Jamsil Olympic Stadium and Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. With over 200 songs in their discography, the band had many choices about which songs and stages would feature on the show. For “PTD on Stage” in particular, BTS prioritized songs featuring all seven members rather than interspersing the setlist with solo tracks allowing the other members to rest. The result is over two hours of some of the world’s best artists tirelessly doing what they do best.

In the Soup: Friendship

Image: Disney

Recommended for: BTS fans looking for a chill afternoon, or who want to pretend they’re on vacation in the Korean countryside.

In the Soup, which fully translates to “In the Forest”, is a reality series in which the members of BTS escape to the Korean countryside to enjoy a period of rest and relaxation. (In 2021 it was the eighth most tweeted about show worldwide.) The original incarnation of the show gave us two seasons, released in 2020 and 2021 respectively, featuring all seven members. In the Soup: Friendship is a spin-off that follows BTS member V as he goes on a bro trip with four of his famous friends: actors Park Seo-joon (the upcoming MCU movie The miracles, Itaewon class), Choi Woo-shik (Train to Busan, Parasite), and Park Hyung-sik (The heirs), as well as rapper Peakboy.

The famous friendship group formed during the production of 2016 K drama Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth, and even has its own name. The friends go by “Wooga Squad”, which is an abbreviation for the phrase “Are we family?” in Korea. In friendshipthey go to Goseong for four days, where they eat steamed buns, fish on the ocean, sing karaoke and watch the latest episode of Choi’s Our beloved summer together. It’s the least plot-driven of the Disney Plus offerings, but that’s kind of the point. The four episodes are the perfect watch for a slow, rainy weekend.

J-hope in the box

Image: Disney

Recommended for: BTS fans interested in what goes into creating a BTS-level performance.

Inside at some point J-hope in the box, BTS’ rapper and dancer J-Hope remarks to the camera that he has devoted his entire twenties to BTS. It is not a comment made with regret or nostalgia. It is normal is. When the members of BTS announced to the world that they would be taking a break from group activities to rest, fulfill mandatory military service and pursue solo projects, it was seen as necessary for the long-term sustainability of the world’s largest band . They wanted the opportunity to grow, experiment and mature outside of the immediate context of BTS.

When Jack in the box, J-Hope’s first solo album, released in July 2022, he did just that in bold and surprising ways. He continues to do it with J-hope in the box, allowing the performer to be the sole main character in the film’s story to an extent that wasn’t really possible during BTS’ first chapter. (It’s fascinating to see the other members appear as supporting characters – as J-Hope’s dear friends and his oldest colleagues – in J-Hope’s story.) This 85-minute film gives a rare depth of access to J-Hope’s work process and family life; explores the immense preparation it took to prepare Jack in the box and Lollapalooza; and successfully recreates the energy of his historic headlining performance in Chicago.

SUGA: Road to D-Day

Image: Disney

Recommended for: BTS fans curious about what goes into BTS’ music writing process.

If you’ve been paying attention to BTS member Suga’s “hiatus” work, you may have noticed how much it’s about seeking advice on how to sustain a career as an artist for a lifetime. It’s been 10 years since the 30-year-old musician, producer and recording artist debuted in BTS and as he looks beyond his upcoming solo world tour and his ensuing mandatory military service, he seems to have every intention of dedicating his life to making of music.

In Road to D-Day — a feature-length documentary about the writing of Suga’s most recent album, D-day — we get a glimpse into why the rapper and producer does what he does, how he struggles and who he is inspired by. In one of the documentary’s most moving scenes, Suga travels to Japan to meet one of its musical heroes: Ryuichi Sakamoto, the Oscar-winning Japanese composer who passed away in April. (The two collaborated on a track called “Snooze” for D-day.) While the whole documentary is fascinating, I won’t soon forget this moment – when two generations of world-changing musicians meet and appreciate music together.

BTS Monuments: Beyond the Star (upcoming)

Photo: Lester Cohen/WireImage

Recommended for: BTS fans who want to relive the story of the group’s rise to global superstardom.

Not yet issued, BTS Monuments: Beyond the Star is a docu-series that will tell the story of BTS, featuring “unprecedented access to a massive library of music and footage spanning the past nine years.” While the story of BTS has been recorded in many places, there has not yet been an official attempt by Big Hit Entertainment/HYBE to create a docuseries that tells the story of their career. This could be it. With BTS turning 10 in June 2023, this summer would be a perfect time to start releasing this chronicle of their story to date…