OT7 Live - 12/21

왔어요 (We Came -formal Korean)

Hi Lovely People!
A smol bit of updated housekeeping as I seem to have a new batch of subscribers of veteran & baby ARMY and in between!

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Occassionally, you may see me offer free translations to the general public off schedule if I feel that the translation is critically important for all ARMY to see (e.g., the RM live from a few weeks ago was made publicly available for free to all because I know it stirred a lot of concern/bad translations caused a lot of undue panic.)

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RM: 2!
hobi: waeakje;alrgj;al (starting off strong at 00:03, Jimin has dropped a LIT match)

RM: you've started a fire (X2)

[95s making sure V's not on fire]
JK: check your shoes
[95s making sure V's shoes are not on fire]

THEIR ICONIC INTRO
RM: k.. (to get them ready) 2!3! BANG!
BTS: TAN! Ahnyonghasaeyo Bangtadjfga;jdfljg;aldkfj (the group was not on the same page about what they'd say the second half LMAO)
::clappies::

RM: oh they're not able to join [the live] yet... comments haven't started yet..
Jin: yes it has yes it has
RM: oh yes it has

Jm (to V): oh there's a little mark here
V: doesn't matter I can just buy another one
JK/Jm: oOoOooo
RM: what is that (looking at V's pants/shoes situation)

hobi (thinking RM was talking about what's on the table): oh *hotteok, bungeoppang, what is this? i want a hotteok

*붕어 빵 (bungeoppang) = essentially like a waffle-type batter that's been pressed into the shape of a little fish traditionally filled with a sweet red bean paste, it was/is a very popular street-food snack sold by cart vendors in Korea and a go-to, inexpensive warm snack on a cold day- esp enjoyed by kids in the afternoon like right outta elementary school back in the day - but now made globally available hahaha

pic from Maangchi

*호떡 (hotteok) = a sweet pancake traditionally filled with brown sugar, cinnamon, and sometimes chopped nuts, also a very popular street-food snack sold by cart vendors in Korea esp during the colder months

pic from Korean Bapsang

RM: the hotteok goes hard
JK/hobi ::takes hotteok::
RM: hotteok.. is .. the next chapter just.. (300% sure he meant to say 'it's next level but said 'next chapter' cuz he's tryna multitask and is thinking of their next chapter LOLL)

SUGA: Jimin you need to do a root touch up
Jm: ...this is touched up..

RM: why's it so dark..

Jm (to SUGA): it's [his roots] not black..
hobi: isn't it the trend to leave a bit of roots showing?
BTS: jkaldfjla;dfkg::all talking at once about trends::
SUGA: oh leaving the roots is a trend now? (forever grandpa. i love you sugiball. but tbh i also don't know i never rly dye my hair lmao)
RM: ...dirty blonde?!
Jin: dirty blonde..
RM: dirty blonde.. ..the trend is kind of .. like a 'dirty' look
JK to RM: mm.. is it really?
RM: probably not
(HAHAHAHAHA awwww kookoo asking leader. leader immediately - 'nope idk')

V: has everyone been well? [to ARMY]
Jm: hmm but if we're this far [from the camera/mic] - will our voices be heard well?
Jin: very well..
JK: should we make it quiet and see..
V: should we try it? (trying to turn on their own video to monitor their sound but it doesn't work).. ah, it doesn't work
RM (yelling): CAN YOU HEAR US WELL??

SUGA: oh ..so this is being translated in real time huh ..
i think SUGA is referring to the comments being translated [for their view] in real time; obviously not the other way around loll..-______-"

RM: Everyone, *HAPPY
BTS: NEW YEARRRRR!

새해 복 많이 바드세요 (saehae bohk mahnee badeusaeyo) = literally, "in the new year, receive lots of good fortune" - but this is how Koreans express 'Happy New Year'

hobi: but ...oh man it's already the end of the year
Jin: but isn't it a bit early to say Happy New Year?
RM: there's less than 2 weeks left
hobi: it's like ramping up to it so i think we can mention..
SUGA: is it the ..21st today?

V: all together in JAPANESE!~ 1, 2, 3
BTS: 明けましておめでとうございます akemashite omedetō gozaimasu
RM: in CHINESE! 2!3!
BTS: 新年快乐 xīnnián kuàilè
RM: in ENGLISH! HAPPY
RM/V: happy newajkadlkgagfdsgaaaaaa

hobi: okay now in SPANISH
RM: al..zaeaeebokmanybadeurahhh (he just slurred the pronunciation of the Korean way to say happy new year LOL)

V: MUCHO PICANTE!

(super satisfied with himself for setting them up for exactly.. this case scenario LOLL)
hobi: te amo!

Jin: .....good job everyone
Jm: they said they can hear - they said they can hear well~

HAHAHAHA

SUGA: ...these real time translations [of the comments] is there a PERSON actually doing it? or..
JK: nope
Jin: AI?
Jm: ..probably not though..
RM: i am curious about that too - is someone translating this in real time?
Jin: but it's too fast for that - I don't think anyone could do that ..

(off camera staff signals to RM that there ARE real people doing translation work)
RM to Jin: !!oh! they said there IS a live person back there.. how would they know when we're gonna do a live though - i guess they're always on call/on standby then!??

🧐😑for like a literal genius ...sometimes RM's comments confuse me deeply lmao what a derpball

(everyone PLEASE look at Jung Kook's ENORMOUS BOBA EYES at full dilation LMAOOOO! the surprise!)

Jin: oh really??
SUGA: no -_- cuz events like this - these are pre-planned
hobi: ...on call? waaa
JK: REALLY?? O_O?? (it's possible JK/hobi both missed what SUGA just said LOL)
RM: no cuz.. it's just US though (like all the other artists/groups represented on Weverse LOL)
hobi: ????
Jin: ....cuz there are ppl on standby at lots of places of work..
V: ????
RM (to cam): thank you .. we are always grateful for you..
Jin: wow there are people translating in real time..
JK: FOR the occassions we've scheduled in advance
RM: for the unscheduled ones ..maybe AI handles it.. like the ones we turn on randomly.. AI does it..

hobi (to cam): wait but then if we're all talking at once how can they.. ??
Jm: if we don't want to make it difficult for them - we should not speak as..
RM: OKAY we should raise our hands when we want to speak!

V(randomly): Ahnyonghasaeyo I'm Kim Taehyung
Jm: or we can just speak a bit more slowly...
V(LITERALLY as fast as he can): jakdfjga;ldfjgksomething in Japanese
Jm: ...this.. we cannot even understand (i love the 95s)
hobi::sunshine laughs:: the hotteok is yummy

FOR THE RECORD - FRIENDS. This is based on what I've seen in quality/speed of translations - but basically, when BTS members turn on random unscheduled lives, it is translated by the equivalent of like leaving your phone's google translate on, having it catch/translate everything in real time. It's not the WORST EVER POSSIBLE solution but it's definitely not AI and it's definitely not a real person.

AI would do a MUCH better job than the tech currently being used by WV for the automated translations.

For the scheduled/special event lives, they DO seem to have at least one live translator on site?? BUT I've seen the results of the live translators for things like Jin's SCHEDULED, PRE-PLANNED live to promote his tour, j-hope's SCHEDULED pre-planned live to talk about his new music, etc. and the ACCURACY of the live translator-supported translations are definitely better in quality, but they're SOOO slow. My impression is that it's probably because these translators are fluent in Korean but not as much in English?? So their translations still wind up a bit choppy but DEFINITELY infinitely better at expressing what was intended vs. the automated translations that just spit out literal translations and botch homonyms and stuff..

I'll say it again - PLEASE be critical of translations you find online - especially if you find it's asserting weird or negative or uncharacteristic scenarios re:the artists you love. Seek translations from NATIVE/FLUENTTT (not just with the language but with the culture) translators that can calibrate for tone and intention. I've actually seen SO many incorrect translations that get like 60% of the snippet translated CORRECTLY, but then 40% of it SO WRONG that it leaves listeners really confused - those types of "translators" are prob just running it through Papago/Google Translate and then adding their own thoughts into the mix without noting that it's their personal interpretation of events. This is also why I include MY COMMENTARY in a different color and if I don't know something I'll just always be super honest! I don't know ALL the latest slang/trends in Korea (as I do not in America LMAO) - and I won't pretend to

SUGA (reading the comments): this is real real time translation.. in the comments..
RM: see HOTTEOK (points) and BUNGOPANG (points) (🤷🏻‍♀️)
hobi: bungopang
RM (pronouncing all these Korean foods ...in "English"): bungopang and go-guma (고구마 = sweet potato) and
hobi to RM: what is bungopang in English?
RM: um.. fish.. bread...
V: fish bread??
hobi: ..that .. that's very.. um..
RM: boongobang (😑🤣)
hobi: boongobang

boba is eating nothing.. AND he's eating it so carefully.. LMAO halp he's so tiny

Jin:... look there's a cake! shall we blow out the candles? ::reaches to light the candle::
Jm: ..i was trying to light it when I..
SUGA: these days.. now that it's the end of the year.. are strawberry cakes trending right now? everyone seems to be putting out that strawberry cake
hobi: but aren't strawberry cakes always a classic?
RM: does seem healthy..
JK: but i've never seen a chocolate strawberry cake before..
Jin: ...actually why do we have candles though??
Jm to Jin: just cuz.. you know... it's fun..

omg so much of this is them speaking OVER each other ...friends I'm only at 3:29 and I've been working on this for what feels like 3 weeks time.. pray for me.

RM answering Jin: maybe ..in celebration of 2026?
Jin: oh for 2026.. ok then imma light embed
JK: okay .. i mean cuz it's ??? and also the end of the year
hobi: cuz '26 is going to be a really meaningful year for us all..
RM: let's make 2026 the year of BANGTAN - let's goo
SUGA: something BIG is coming!
RM: something REALLY big is coming! is it? it is..
JK -in tiny copying RM: is it? it is..

Jin having lit the candle: okay so..
::Jm is moving the cake - a precarious situation loll::
Jin: oh and it's taehyungie's birthday soon too right?

RM: ..TAEHYUNGAH, happy birthday!
Jm has inexplicably picked up the cake and is holding it up .. just generally in the middle in the air LOLLL
RM: oh it's a chocolate strawberry cake huh?

it's becoming evident to me that they barely listen to/hear each other sometimes lmao

hobi: okay now now everyone make a wish!
JK: make a wish? ::doesn't question - IMMEDIATE boba wish mode::

Jin ..putting his hands together to make a wish - but is confused: ..but isn't this cake for Taehyung's birthday?
RM to V: oh you blow it out then..
Jm moves cake in front of V
V: ..but it's not my birthday yet.. :|

hobi: someone should do that thing where when someone blows out the candle, someone else pretends to drop dead (like as a result of the 'wish' coming true)
JK knowingly: MEME MEME MEME!
SUGA in tiny: ...why

j-hope is so happy he made the suggestion
JK immediately recognizes what internet prank this is from
RM contemplates all his life choices
SUGA is 83 years old adjusting his glasses
V is delighted by the idea
Jimin is not having it LMAOOOOJDKLF:JGLDJFG:LKDJG:LKJHAHAHAHAHAHA
Jin is exasperated

i love them all so much. we are not five minutes into this live - 4:15 to be exact - half of me is so delighted, half of me is crying from the depths of my soul because this live is going to take six years to translate..... guys.. the whole thing is 48:34.. if you ever wanna randomly buy me a coffee..

V: okay then imma make a wish!

please observe the INTENSE 😠focus with which V is making this wish 🥺🥹🥹🥹🧸🤏🏻
V::blows out the candle::
JK/hobi::immediately "drop dead" - they were very excited to pull off this little stunt::
Jin piling on to this stunt:: Taehyung be like.. 'oh i didn't mean that person'

SUGA asking RM in the TINIEST OF TINY: ...is this some kinda meme?
jakdlf;gjaldfjg;alkjdfg;lajdflgSUGAAAAAA😭🤏🏻🤏🏻🤏🏻 oh my little sugaball why are you so hilarious
V explaining to SUGA: no so when I blow out the candle/make a wish...
SUGA: right..
V: then the person.. does that..
SUGA: they die? ah..
RM echoing/laughing at JIN: haha'not that person'

Jm reading comments: "Yoongiyah.. if you see this please tell Jimin to do a root touch-up" ..no i will but..it's not that i'm not tryna get my roots touched up further it's that my hair is in such bad condition right now (prob from the bleach) that I'm leaving it alone until the next 'occassion' where I have to get it done
RM: ..why would you tell Yoongi to relay that message..? just say it directly [to Jimin]

um.. fitness girlies - lol do a squat for everytime sugi adjusts his glasses cutely like so.. lol our thighs will be burning by the end

RM: Jimin has a plan everybody.. right?
Jm: it's cuz my hair is so damaged right now..
hobi: are you thinking about changing your hair color again? just maintain your current color?
Jin: what color do you want to do?
Jm: that's a secret

hobi: oh but back in the day we use to.. like..
Jin: oh! we wanted to hide our hair color so we'd do like over the top colors..
hobi: exactly exactly.. and then like hairspray on top of that
Jm: we don't do things like that anymore..
Jin: i think that was worse for our image ..cuz then later we can't use those colors again..
Jm: true true true..
hobi: that was exhausting

JK: you know what surprised me - was recently when I got my hair done you know for the thing we filmed.. but i think like the day after or so.. they posted the pictures right away.. ("they" may mean anyone from paparazzi to leaked photos to maybe even sanctioned photos from their official ppl - idk)
hobi: but nowadays.. we don't really need to be worried about all that..
Jin: it's fine now..
hobi: because they always told us that we have to hide our [new] hair that'll be featured in our new song content..
Jm: releasing our 'new looks' all at once seemed was really important i think ..

they're all talking at once - but basically this chunk of convo is explaining that back in the day - they had to be extra careful with posting pictures of themselves with specially dyed/styled hair that was styled specifically for content/photoshoot/mv - because that could be seen as a spoiler of sorts... so they had to go so far as to use products or darker/crazier colors to COVER UP their hair associated with new content UNTIL that content officially dropped

For example (this is made up), if Jimin dyed his hair pink for XYZ music video set to drop in 30 days.. then he may have had to recolor/cover up his pink hair UNTIL the XYZ music video dropped so as not to give anything away prematurely.

NOW reflecting back on those seasons - Jin's saying he thinks that may have been even more wasteful re: their image fodder because then the 'COVER UP' color hair couldn't be used in the future - and "couldn't" not in the sense that it literally/technically could not be done but especially back in the day, especially when they were not as globally recognized, among celebrities -who had what hair color / being mindful not to appear to 'rip off' some other person's iconic hair style/color or artistic look / etc. was probably much more top of mind to them/to their company than now..

RM in a wonkus satoori: i know not of what you speak..
hobi: ...what satoori is that from?
RM: me? mine?
Jm also mimicking a wonkus satoori: how far are you gonna go? (in tone))
RM::repeats after Jimin::

*사투리 (satoori) = regional dialect/accent as distinct from 표준어 (pyojoonuh)='standard' Seoul Korean
For more satoori fun/chaos, please check out this episode of Run BTS

hobi: i'm full ughh

boba has been quietly eating this whole time. we LOVE our hungry little kookooball - please observe how he quietly eats and then because he has like sugar all over his hands - he does fluttery piano fingers looking around for help ...I CRYYYYY

RM: anyway.. well.. we turned on the live just to chitchat/shoot the breeze.. since it's the end of the year.. .like... do yall have plans? (ARMY) you're all doing well right?
hobi: the end of the yearrrrrr is..
SUGA: but like .. this time it's not that cold so..
RM: something feels off..
hobi: but but.. today is cold
Jin:... o_o i think it's very cold..

adjflajdf;glajfghahahahahaha

Jm: no like.. as soon as I turn the boiler on it's hot again [the weather] and the SECOND i turn it off it turns SO cold.. [the weather, not his home]
SUGA: like it's not dropping below zero these days..

Jin: my house is always warm..
RM: hyung, it's cuz you leave your house at like 30degrees all the time with the boiler on though... don't you?
Jin: it's always at 27..

AMERICA FRIENDS.. 27degrees celcius is 80degrees F.. Jin is in full blown hibernation mode lmaooo

Jm to Jin: hyung, that's why no one can comfortably go over your house cuz it's so friggng hot..
Jin: no it's exactly perfect - exactly right

maybe this is Jin's secret to staying a vampire..he's sousvides himself in his home

hobi: I set my house temp from 24-25degrees C.. (75-77degrees F)
sugi approves
RM: i set my house to ~21degrees C (69degrees F)

Jin: woww... Jung Kook's house is so cold..
::JK (cheeks filled with food) nods in tiny boba::

SUGA to RM: your house is kinda cold..i wanted to say this..

*adjusts his glasses to tell his little story of how he was cold in namjoon's place.. but they keep talking over him and i CRYYYY
hobi jumping in in agreement..
Jm to SUGA: you thought it was cold? i thought it was perfect..
RM: me too!
Jm: i think 22-23degrees C is perfect (72-73degrees F)
RM: maybe it's just us (#minimoni4lyfe)
Jm: my body runs hot.. (YESSIRitdoes. who said that 👀)
JK: me too.. i haven't even turned on my boiler yet this season..
RM: me neither..

SUGA: no but watch this okay.. it's the END of DECEMBER.. if you haven't turned your boiler on yet - there is something very wrong

ICONIC.

Jin: when we were filming earlier.. on set.. I was shivering the whole time.. it was legit soO cold..
JK: O_O really??
Jin: i mean you all said it was the optimal temp so I just endured but I was freezinggg
Jm: o,o! we didn't know..

😭🥺🤏🏻 aw the eldest life..lol

V: I'm not.. ::mumbles::

Jm starts to take off his jacket veryyyy quickly LOLL like in response to hearing that his hyung [Jin] was cold all day - QUICKLY taking off his jacket to put on Jin

hobi seeing what Jimin is doing, adding on: that's right.. take it off for him.. take it off!
Jm HURRYING
RM: HURRY. *MANNER NAM
hobi watching Jimin take too long: aiii.. this is taking too long let me ::takes off his jacket to put on Jin:: "everyone take off everything"
RM: OKAY! ::stands up, pretends to yank off his clothes::

::kookooball is delighted by this - please look at his scrunched little delighted little face - he loves his hyungs and he loves his mama (Jin) so much::

*manner nam, as in manner namja (남자, man) = Koreans have this ..idk if trend is the right word but they just add kinda like 'whatever solid quality' + nam - when they wanna emphasize that someone's good at that thing.. like Cooking Nam (guy who's good at cooking, in the JinVKookBap Live, they say this a few times to describe each other), here RM calls Jimin a "Manner Nam" for being so thoughtful/considerate

"manner" in Korea is not really referring to 'upholding etiquette' so much as it means 'being considerate' overall

JK: are you gonna cover him?
hobi: oh okay yea cover him cover him

::hobi & Jimin cover Jin with their jackets - and all of ARMY cry around the world::

Jin didn't ask for this life. LMAOOOO.
and the only thing kookoo loves more than supporting his hyungs, is trolling his hyungs
kookoo claps

Jin: waowww.. okay.. so we must be careful with our words.. (as in, MENTIONING he was cold EARLIER on set has resulted in being buried in 3 coats unsolicited. amen.)

RM to Jin: you're basically the little matchstick girl now (referring to the classic fairytale about the little girl matchstick girl)
Jin: wowwww okay I'm warm I'm warm..
hobi: you're warm? soon you'll be very hot ::sunshine smiles::
Jin: but lowkey this is amazing I'm so warm now..

HAHAHA awww we love themmm

JK to Jin: they covered you w a lot
Jin: yea it's warm.. especially the one on the left is really warm..

hobi to the group: look at this.. i did something to myself while i was sleeping and i have a scratch
RM: tell me you didn't..
hobi: look ..a scratch

forget KIG jay for a second.. this is bb hobi showing his mystery nighttime owie to his brotatoes and they are all so concerned.. ja;lfjg;ladfjg;ladjf;glajd;lfgjaldfkg... also please look at how concerned RM is for his fellow 94 bb..
RM: do you still sleep while like holding yourself? ::jimin bursts out laughing::

RM/JK: like this (lowkey was sleepdancing hobi the inspo for the black swan choreography?)
hobi: but i don't usually scratch myself this badly
Jin with a STRAIGHT FACE: now you've advanced to scratching yourself

Jm: but you know how i shared a room with him..
JK: must've been scary..
Jm: so yea.. the lights would be off and I'd be on my phone.. and like you know how i can't see well.. when i'd look over and i'd see something like [pic below] up in the air
V: oh this this this this ::Jm/V's turn to imitate j-hope::

RM: like forreal why do you do thatt
Jm: and then your OTHER hand came up to ::strokes the other hand::

j-hope will apparently put you through the mattress... and then scare the sht outta you lmaooo

Jin: it's been such a long time since we've all slept in the same room.. how do you sleep these days?? [to j-hope]
hobi: ..i sleep normal
Jm: normal like this? ::reaching up::
Jin: i mean you can't know what you look like when you sleep though so..
RM: course he doesn't
hobi: i think i sleep normally....?
JK: i used to squirm around a LOT but now i sleep still! +10000 points for kookooball - he's so happy to share. i CRYYYYYYY!!

Jin: ???
RM noticing Jimin looks like he wants to say something re: JK's sleeping: i KNOW you wanna say something right now..
Jm: [in the military] even on that TINY bed.. he (Jung Kook) would spin around like this
Jin: HAHAHAHA.. cuz the bed's like this small

JK: BUT! nowadays.. by the time I wake up - I'm still in the same place!
SUGA/Jm: oh really? are you sure you just haven't made a full 360degree turn to wind up back where you started?
Jin: ...can one even spin around like that there? [on the small military beds?]
JK: somehow i spun.. somehow
Jm: he'd spin to the side.. and then somehow spin around..
RM (to JK): ..wait so you'd wake up and be like on your bed upside down?
JK to RM: nae (yes, in formal Korean)
RM ::nods unfazed::
HAHAHAHAHA "nae" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Jin: no but HOW small the military beds are ..like i barely move during sleep and even I'd sometimes fall off..

not 10 minutes in, j-hope is still eating, kookoo still/always/again has food in his hands, RM has just readily accepted Kookoo used to spin around in his sleep.. SUGA contemplating all his life choices.. V in his own world.. Jm trying to understand the mysterious physics of military era sleeping kookoo ..Jin is buried under coats. I LOVE.

Jm: i know exactly how wide the bed is.. it was THIS big

RM: hyung, I had the [*og military sleeping thingy]
Jin: oh you wouldn't fall off that..
RM: yea you couldn't fall off that..
Jin: i kinda like that ..

current/new military "beds" are essentially cots or narrow bunkbeds - but as you may know, RM was sent to one of the OLDEST bases and he had the OG style sleeping setup - which was essentially just a raised platform/floor and soldiers would roll out their mats next to each other and just sleep on their mat - as it was one connected platform, you couldn't fall off of this sleeping setup