“Pick a side”- HYBE’s balloon choice for BTS Taehyung’s comeback weverse live has fans joking about the Bear vs. Tiger nickname war

On Tuesday, June 10, BTS' RM and Taehyung were discharged from the military following the completion of their mandatory enlistment in the South Korean army. Following the same, the two idols kickstarted a livestream at the HYBE headquarters as their agency, BigHit Music, threw the members a 'Welcome Back' party.

Fans noticed the decorations surrounding the two members, and they soon pointed out the animal character balloons. The balloons aimed to represent the animal characters or emojis that fans often use to refer to the members. While RM has a koala bear balloon on his side, Taehyung has two balloons, a bear and a tiger.

This soon sparked a hilarious discussion among the fans as they revived the long-running nickname war for Taehyung: a bear or a tiger. While some fans use the tiger emoji as the idol's representative animal, others have been using a bear emoji, making the light war more consistent and evergreen.

It has become more of an unsaid rule that the idol would be represented by both or either of these representative animals. Therefore, when fans noticed that the agency put up balloons of both the representative balloons for his 'Welcome Back' party, fans couldn't help but jokingly fight about the same.

They also expressed that it was quite funny for BigHit Music to make note of this long-running nickname war and pay heed to both parties. Here are a few fan reactions regarding the same:

More fans and netizens pitched in to lightly fight about the nickname war following RM and Taehyung's military discharge livestream.

All you need to know about BTS' Taehyung and his recent solo activities

BTS' V or Kim Taehyung is a South Korean singer, dancer, and actor who debuted under BigHit Entertainment, now rebranded as HYBE Labels, in 2013. He stands as one of the Vocal Line members of the group, which also includes Jimin, Jin, and Jungkook.

During his time as a BTS member, the idol had already established a solo career with a few solo tracks on the group's albums, such as Singularity, Inner Child, etc. Additionally, he has also put forth a few independent tracks on SoundCloud, such as Winter Bear, Snow Flower, and more. He has also participated in the OST of several popular K-dramas.

Some of his OSTs include Christmas Tree for Our Beloved Summer, Sweet Night for Itaewon Class, and more. However, his official solo debut was in September 2023 with the release of his first album, LayoVer. Around December of the same year, the idol enlisted in the military for his mandatory service and was subsequently discharged on June 10.

Regardless, during his enlistment period, Taehyung put forth a few pre-recorded singles such as FRI(END)S in March 2024, Winter Ahead feat. Park Hyo-shin in December 2024, and the posthumous collaboration with Bing Crosby, White Christmas, in the same month. Following his military discharge, fans and netizens have been eagerly looking forward to his upcoming solo activities.

About the author

Aishwarya is a pop culture writer who covers K-drama and K-pop at Sportskeeda. After completing her Bachelor's in English and Communication Skills, she sought a job that allowed her to explore her passion, and being a K-pop and K-drama reporter felt like the ideal fit. Aishwarya has 3 years of experience under her belt and previously took on several internships in the industry that further motivated her in choosing writing as a career.

Aishwarya believes in conducting extensive research and verifying facts with the help of reputable sources to produce accurate articles. She also spends a significant amount of time on Twitter to understand how netizens are reacting to the latest trends in the industry before crafting her content.

She admires SUGA from BTS for his dedication to his work and aspires to immerse herself into the things she loves, just like him. If she could go back in time, she would jump at the opportunity to be part of ""Reply 1988,"" a K-drama set in a time when neighborhood relationships were cherished and interpersonal connections were of utmost importance. Although she loves how technology has advanced, she would also love to experience living in an era before it was invented.

When Aishwarya's not writing and reading about the latest developments in the industry, she spends her time crocheting, sketching, cycling, reading Mangas, and cooking.

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