BTS is known to be a proactive boy group that lends a helping hand to people in need while ARMY is known to be a fandom that follows in the footsteps of the artists they look up to. That being so, why not celebrate the good deeds ARMY has done by creating a tradition?
One In An ARMY introduced a monthly tradition where ARMY can celebrate the ideals of BTS and the giving spirit of ARMY. Celebrated on the 17th of every month, AnpanARMY Day gathers ARMY to celebrate any acts of kindness they’ve witnessed or done. AnapanARMY is named by ARMYs who voted on One In An ARMY’s poll, a portmanteau of the words Anpanman and ARMY. AnpanARMY Day symbolizes how every ARMY can be a superhero to another person by performing small acts of kindness. This ARMY tradition started on August 17, 2018, and has been continued ever since.
In the first official poster of AnpanARMY Day, One In An ARMY explained the day’s purpose:
“We believe the kind hearts and good spirits of ARMY should be celebrated—not just once, but every month! Our timelines tend to fixate on negative issues, and it’s easy to forget that ARMY is a massive fandom—which means sometimes the positive things get lost in the shuffle.”
One In An ARMY hoped for this tradition to be a platform from which ARMY can draw inspiration from each other’s creative interpretation of “good deeds,” and as a result be encouraged to apply them to their everyday lives as well. Using the hashtag #AnpanARMY, ARMYs share anything they’ve done that makes the world a better place.
The idea behind AnpanARMY Day came from a frequently asked question One In An ARMY always received. “How can I help if I can’t donate money?” ARMY always wanted to go above and beyond, apart from simply sharing campaign posts. Ever since the start of AnpanARMY Day, numerous ARMYs around the vast globe did simple, positive things to help others.
During the Love Yourself Tour in North America and Europe, One In An ARMY grabbed the opportunity to move ARMYs to become an AnpanARMY and show the world how BTS inspire their fans to do small yet good deeds; deeds such as cleaning the venue after the concert, among others, showing the locals just what kind of fandom BTS inspires us to be. The #AnpanARMYxLYTour initiative was so successful that it was featured in various media outlets such as MTV News and Metro.
Happy AnpanARMY Day!
Today marks the two-year anniversary of AnpanARMY Day, and two years later this tradition is still going strong.
When the call first went out to ARMYs on August 17, 2018, One In An ARMY tweeted this poster with two questions:
Who’s an AnpanARMY in your eyes?
How have you been a superhero to someone lately?
ARMYs responded. From Santa shoeboxes to pruning a neighbor’s tree; writing notes to giving free hugs; caring for elders to treating someone to a BTS concert; the gestures of kindness over the years have been as diverse and as numerous as the fandom itself. Every month without fail, ARMYs come together to celebrate what it means to be ARMY. More importantly, though, they come together to share their gratitude and appreciation for kindnesses given and received.
From the song “Anpanman,” BTS reminds us that while we are not ‘superheroes’ in the literal sense, we all have the potential to be a hero (or shero) for someone else. Likewise, there is no age limit, no gender preference, and no ethnic requisite. Music transcends all of these, and as we can see from the lyrics so does the nature of AnpanARMY Day.
(Screenshot: BangBangCon: The Live)
New Generation Heroes
When translating the lyrics of “Anpanman,” Doolset also shared two important pieces of information. The first comes from a quote taken from Jimin: “Anpanman is the weakest hero in the world. He doesn’t have any supernatural power, but he’s a hero who tears off himself to give food to someone who’s hungry. We put our hearts in the song that we want to give our fans hope and energy, solely with our music and performances.”
The second was in reference to the stage outfits that BTS wore during one of their comeback performances and how these “resemble those of firefighters, construction workers, or traffic police officers, implying that they are the ‘new generation heroes.’”
Considering the times we are in, this insight from 2018 now seems more relevant than ever in 2020. The world’s frontline essential workers have been working tirelessly for the health of the public, despite the hardships and health risks. For millions of our global citizens, they have indeed become our “new generation” heroes and sheroes, doing the best that they can with the resources they have.
Not being able to see the face of this BTS member in the image below is no accident. For every AnpanARMY that we celebrate and acknowledge, many more will remain nameless and faceless to us. For that reason, AnpanARMY Day is also an opportunity to acknowledge them. In some cases, no one - including the recipient of their kindness - will know who they are. That, too, is the nature of kindness and generosity.
(Credit: BANGTANTV)
Just for an added bonus, we have included a link to their 2019 FESTA Self-cam video taken while performing with the Love Yourself: Speak Yourself Tour. Here we see them pulling out all the stops to bring us a fun-packed, next-level performance of “Anpanman.”
It’s easy to see why BTS are our Anpanmen, leading by example in their own sincere ways.
DISCLAIMER: We do not own any audio & visual content in this video except for the editing. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS. No copyright infringement intended.
Written By: Euni and Shelley
Edit By: Esma
Checked By: Aury
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