Showing posts with label Weverse Shop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weverse Shop. Show all posts

Unboxing: BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figures

on
Sunday, April 27, 2025
So, um, I pre-ordered these last August and they shipped out in December to my Korean forwarding address... and I kinda forgot about them until my BTS Island figures arrived. So I realize this unboxing is exceptionally late, but they're all still available for purchase so this post isn't completely redundant yet!

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BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figures — Outer Boxes

To be honest, I'm not like, a die-hard Despicable Me fan, so I didn't even know a fourth movie was coming out until this collaboration was announced. And even then, I wasn't really sure how BTS was related to this movie franchise. (I looked it up: there's a new character in DM4 named Poppy Prescott who loves BTS. Which is fair. She has a BTS phone case and a "Butter" poster on her wall, and they also play "Dynamite" in one of the scenes.) But I've always loved the Minions, so when I saw that they were releasing figures that featured BTS as Minions in the "Permission to Dance" MV outfits, I had to get my hands on them. Resistance was futile.

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BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figures — RM, Jin, and Suga

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BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figures — J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook

All the figures come packaged in yellow (Minion yellow, if you will) with clear cellophane windows in the front. Each member has his own distinct box with his name and his Minion character illustration on the front. Each figure comes with a white foot stand. The figures measure 6.6cm to 7.8cm tall, and are made of PVC and ABS plastics. Each figure retails for ₩32,000 or $25.18 USD on Weverse Shop Global (and, as mentioned, they are shockingly all still available for purchase!).

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BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figure — RM

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BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figure — Jin

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BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figure — Suga

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BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figure — J-Hope

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BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figure — Jimin

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BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figure — V

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BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figure — Jungkook

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BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figures
(Top row, left to right: RM, Jin, and Suga
Bottom row, left to right: J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook)

Now, granted, unless you're very familiar with BTS' "Permission to Dance" MV, you probably won't be able to tell which BTS member is which in their Minion form. But I will say that the designers really got down the hair and outfits to a T so any ARMY will be able to recognize these fellas as BTS, and that is what counts. (Also, these are just cute AF. Funko also released BTS x Despicable Me 4 figures, but they actually look kinda creepy so I'm still debating whether I will get them or not. We shall see. The BTS figure collector in me might cave.)

Unboxing: BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2

on
Sunday, April 20, 2025
So, I finally got around to unboxing Version 2 of the BTS Island: In the SEOM BTS Island Figures. I pre-ordered them last October (yes, six months ago) and they were officially released this February, but I got them shipped to my Korean forwarding address and didn't end up shipping them out until a couple weeks ago, so here we are.

BTS Island: In the SEOM is BTS' match-3 mobile game that was released in June 2022, and the characters — which are based on the 7 members of BTS, obviously — are sickeningly adorable, so it was only a matter of time before merchandise for it was released. If you're a BTS figure collector, then you'll know that the first version of the BTS Island: In the SEOM figures came as a set which could be displayed separately or together on an "island base." This second version features the 7 member characters on separate bases, like the TinyTAN figures.

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BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — Outer Boxes

All the figures come packaged in purple boxes with clear cellophane windows in the front. Each member has his own distinct box with his name and his character illustration on the front. Each figure comes with a matching stand with the name of the respective member on the base and a sticker background each to decorate the stand. The figures measure 5.5cm to 7.7cm tall, and are made of PVC and ABS plastics. Each figure retails for ₩27,000 or $21.24 USD on Weverse Shop Global (and, as of this post, the majority of them are shockingly still available for purchase!).

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BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — RM in "Wild Flower," Jin in "The Astronaut," and Suga in "Haegeum"

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BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — J-Hope in "On the Street," Jimin in "Like Crazy," V in "Slow Dancing," and Jungkook in "Seven"

So, instead of one cohesive theme, Version 2 of the BTS Island Figures actually features each member with their solo work. More specifically, each member's title track music video from a solo project:

  • RM in "Wild Flower" (Indigo)
  • Jin in "The Astronaut" (The Astronaut)
  • Suga in "Haegeum" (D-DAY)
  • J-Hope in "On the Street" (Hope on the Street)
  • Jimin in "Like Crazy" (FACE)
  • V in "Slow Dancing" (Layover)
  • Jungkook in "Seven" (Golden)

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BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — RM in "Wild Flower"

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BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — Jin in "The Astronaut"

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BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — Suga in "Haegeum"

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BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — J-Hope in "On the Street"

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BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — Jimin in "Like Crazy"

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BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — V in "Slow Dancing"

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BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — Jungkook in "Seven"

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BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2
(Top row, left to right: RM in "Wild Flower," Jin in "The Astronaut," and Suga in "Haegeum"
Bottom row, left to right: J-Hope in "On the Street," Jimin in "Like Crazy," and Jungkook in "Seven")

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BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — Coupon Code Photocards
(Top row, left to right: RM in "Wild Flower," Jin in "The Astronaut," and Suga in "Haegeum"
Bottom row, left to right: J-Hope in "On the Street," Jimin in "Like Crazy," and Jungkook in "Seven")

As usual, the attention to detail in their individual hairstyles, outfits, and even background stickers is impeccable. I'm glad that HYBE decided to create figures with a totally different theme than their other figure collections (e.g. TinyTAN, Funko, Banpresto, etc.), which have a lot of overlap (for example, they've done "Dynamite" and "Butter" across all toy brands). These particular figures for BTS Island: In the SEOM actually mark the first series of figures that feature BTS' solo work — a cute acknowledgement of this second chapter of BTS while they're in the military. Can't wait to see what they come up with for Version 3!

Unboxing: J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour Official Merch

on
Saturday, March 22, 2025
You didn't think I'd go see J-Hope on tour and not get merch, did you?

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J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour US Exclusive Zip-Up Hoodie

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J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour US Exclusive Zip-Up Hoodie

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J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour US Exclusive Hoodie

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J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour US Exclusive Hoodie

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J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour US Exclusive Brooklyn Acorn Keyring Charm

Yes, my friend Iris and I decided to get in line for merch at Barclays Center at 7:00AM. There were about 100 people in front of us when we got there which, compared to the last time I was in line for merch at the BTS Permission to Dance concert in Las Vegas a couple years ago, seemed quite reasonable. (I guess, to be fair, there were also about 5 times more people at that concert.) We waited for about 3.5 hours to get in (the merch booths opened at 10:00AM, so all things considered, we actually got in pretty fast), and both Iris and I managed to get everything we wanted. For me, that included the two US-exclusive hoodies (that, frankly, cost a small fortune with the atrocious USD to CAD exchange rate) and the Brooklyn-exclusive acorn keychain (SO CUTE — every city in the US leg of the tour gets a city-exclusive acorn keychain).

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J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour Hoodie

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J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour Hoodie

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J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour Blanket

Of course, when I got home, my Weverse Shop package from Korea also arrived with the general Hope on the Stage Tour merch I had ordered a few weeks ago — I picked the hoodie and the blanket. Yes, I, too, am wondering where the hell I'm going to fit three new hoodies in my already packed closet.

Now, did I get a cold when I got back from NYC from waiting in line for nearly four hours in 5°C weather on three hours of sleep? Yes, yes, I did. Was it worth it? Yes, yes, it was.

Unboxing: BTS Global Official Fanclub ARMY Membership — Merch Box #16

on
Sunday, September 8, 2024
My BTS Global Official Fanclub ARMY Membership Merch Box #16 arrived last month, which is officially my last Merch Box.

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BTS Global Official Fanclub — Merch Box #16 — RM Indigo Outer Box

The BTS Global Official Fanclub added a Merch Pack Membership option in 2020, which included four different merch boxes during the one-year membership period (e.g. one merch box per annual quarter) on top of the regular Membership perks. The price of the Merch Pack Membership was ₩175,000 rather than the regular ₩25,000, but each merch box included exclusive membership items that you couldn't get anywhere else. However, this program has officially been discontinued, with renewals and new registrations being suspended as of July 4, 2024. This means that only those who signed up for or renewed the Merch Pack Membership before this announcement (January to May 2024) will be able to receive Merch Boxes #17, #18, #19, and #20. It is unclear whether BigHit is revamping this membership option or getting rid of a second membership option altogether. As of right now, only the regular Membership is available for new registrations and renewals.

BigHit only allows membership renewals up to 60 days before or 30 days after the expiration date (e.g. the anniversary of your registration date), so those whose membership renewal period is after July 2024 (and the earliest membership registration possible was in August 2020 — which is when I signed up) are unable to renew the Merch Pack Membership. Basically, this means that those of us who joined this membership option at the very beginning will not be able to get the final four Merch Boxes. And as a BTS merch collector, I am greatly annoyed that I will not be able to finish my collection of these solo member boxes.
 
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BTS Global Official Fanclub — Merch Box #16 — RM Indigo Outer Box

The themes for last quarter and this quarter's merch boxes are based on the BTS members' solo projects. So far, we've had Jin's "Astronaut" (Merch Box #12), J-Hope's Jack in the Box (Merch Box #13), Jimin's FACE (Merch Box #14), and Suga's Agust D D-DAY (Merch Box #15). The theme for Merch Box #16 is RM's Indigo album, and it is comprised of one main component: a mood lamp. It has the same blue design as RM's Indigo album.

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BTS Global Official Fanclub — Merch Box #16 — RM Indigo Mood Lamp

The body of the mood lamp, made of ceramic, features the same visual style as RM's Indigo album. It comes with a white pleated lamp shade (which I think is made with a polyethylene hybrid material as it's flexible but feels plastic) that requires a bit of self-assembly. (I just could not figure out how to flip this lamp shade over the inner wire with the paper instructions that were included in the box — before I realized it came with a QR code for an assembly video, which proved to be essential.) It requires a Type-C cable and adapter as they are not included. I originally didn't think I'd have much use for this mood lamp but it has somehow replaced my original bedside lamp. As it is a mood lamp, the light is very dim so I don't recommend reading a book with it, but it provides just enough light to be able to see where you're going in a dark room. (This comes especially in handy if you need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I imagine it would also be a very good night light for those who need it.) 

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BTS Global Official Fanclub — Merch Box #16 — RM Indigo Wood Tray

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BTS Global Official Fanclub — Merch Box #16 — RM Indigo Mood Lamp with Wood Tray

This mood lamp also comes with a wood tray. Note that the lamp doesn't actually fit properly within the tray because of the white wire sticking out of the lamp's body, so this wood tray is for separate decoration purposes. (I personally have used it to hold some small Lego plants.)

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BTS Global Official Fanclub — Merch Box #16 — RM Photocard + Photo Frame

Lastly, we have the obligatory photocard — of course, Merch Box #16 comes with RM's — and a purple plastic photocard frame that looks like a little book. Each of the individual member Merch Boxes should include the same kind of photocard frame with a different word on the back. On the back of this frame is the word, "The desert," so put together in order with the photo frames from the previous four Merch Boxes, the sentence currently says, "When we're together, even the desert..." Once all seven members' boxes are received, these frames will be a complete series of "books," and then we should also get the complete message on the back of the frames. BUT I'LL NEVER KNOW HOW THE SENTENCE WILL END BECAUSE I CAN'T GET THE LAST FOUR BOXES. (Can you tell I'm still a little bitter about this?)

Unboxing: Jimin — MUSE Complete Album Set

on
Thursday, August 15, 2024
(Warning: This post is long and photo-heavy.)

MUSE is Jimin's second studio album as a solo artist. It was released globally on July 19, 2024, at all music retailers both online and in-store. MUSE is a predominantly pop album with a total playing time of 19:52. It is comprised of seven songs, including the digital single released last December, "Closer Than This," the pre-release single, "Smeraldo Garden Marching Band," and the title track, "Who." The album was recorded throughout 2022 to 2023 before Jimin enlisted for this mandatory military service last December.

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Jimin — MUSE — Outer Boxes (Front)
(Left: Blooming ver., Right: Serenade ver.)

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Jimin — MUSE — Outer Boxes (Back)
(Left: Blooming ver., Right: Serenade ver.)

MUSE has a total of 3 versions across 2 formats: 2 CD, and one digital for Weverse Albums. This post features the CD set for MUSE, which includes the CD versions only. You can find this CD set, the digital Weverse Albums version, as well as a set with all versions on Weverse Shop. The CD versions are also available individually and can be found at all major online and in-store retailers, but please note that Weverse Shop sells the individual CD versions as randomized so you cannot pick the version (most other music retailers, including Amazon, offers the versions individually if you do want one version over the other). The CD versions set retails for $32.47 USD or ₩39,600 on Weverse Shop Global, but please note that no money is saved by buying the set as opposed to each version separately.

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Jimin — MUSE — CD-R Sleeves
(Left: Blooming ver., Right: Serenade ver.)

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Jimin — MUSE — CD-R
(Left: Blooming ver., Right: Serenade ver.)

The tracklist of MUSE is as follows:

  1. Rebirth (Intro)
  2. Interlude: Showtime
  3. Smeraldo Garden Marching Band (feat. Loco)
  4. Slow Dance (feat. Sofia Carson)
  5. Be Mine
  6. Who
  7. Closer Than This

There are two CD versions of MUSE: Blooming ver. and Serenade ver. Both versions are packaged in cardboard sleeve boxes, with the album title, artist name, and artist photo on the front in black. Blooming ver. has an aqua colour theme and features the Blooming photo concept, while Serenade ver. has a yellow colour theme and features the Serenade photo concept. They both contain the following content:

  • Outer box (2 versions, 1 each)
  • CD-R sleeve (2 versions, 1 each)
  • CD-R (2 versions, 1 each)
  • Photobook (2 versions, 1 each)
  • Folded poster (2 versions, 1 each)
  • Card set (2 version, 1 each)
  • Instant photo (3 versions, 1 randomized each)
  • Coaster (2 versions, 1 each)
  • Sticker pack (2 versions, 1 each)
  • Photocard (2 versions, 1 each)

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Jimin — MUSE — Folded Posters (Front)
(Left: Blooming ver., Right: Serenade ver.)

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Jimin — MUSE — Folded Posters (Back)
(Left: Blooming ver., Right: Serenade ver.)

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Jimin — MUSE — Card Sets, Coasters, and Instant Photos
(Top: Blooming ver., Bottom: Serenade ver.)

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Jimin — MUSE — Sticker Packs
(Left: Blooming ver., Right: Serenade ver.)

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Jimin — MUSE — Photobooks
(Left: Blooming ver., Right: Serenade ver.)

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Jimin — MUSE — Photobooks (Inside)
(Top: Blooming ver., Bottom: Serenade ver.)

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Jimin — MUSE — Photocards
(Left: Blooming ver., Right: Serenade ver.)

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Jimin — MUSE — Weverse Shop Pre-Order Gifts: Photocard and Acrylic Tags

I'm a little late in posting this so it's been about a month since the album was released, and I've pretty much played it into the ground. Though MUSE was recorded shortly after FACE, the two albums sound distinctly different. While FACE is far angrier, more raw, and more emotional, MUSE is much lighter and happier. It starts off slow and dreamy with "Rebirth (Intro)", gets energetic and cheerful with "Smeraldo Garden Marching Band," and turns sultrier with the R&B-driven "Slow Dance" and Latin pop-based "Be Mine." We then get title track, "Who," which is an ultra-catchy, rhythm guitar-heavy, 2000s pop-influenced bop that is a pure earworm, and it finally ends with the contemporary R&B love letter to ARMY, "Closer Than This." In a nutshell, MUSE is fun, sophisticated, polished, and a complete joy to listen to.

Unboxing: Weverse by Fans — BTS FESTA 2024 Zip-Up Hoodie and Oversized T-Shirt

on
Friday, August 2, 2024
So FESTA was over a month-and-a-half ago, but my FESTA merch finally arrived last week. This year, BigHit actually released two collections for FESTA, one of which just included a keyring and a tote bag (there were more items available to purchase at the in-person event they held in Seoul) and the other one called "2024 FESTA by Fans," which is the one I was actually interested in. "Weverse by Fans" is a new concept for this year, and it allows the buyer to customize the items within a collection. There were four items available for the "2024 FESTA by Fans" collection, and I decided on the black zip-up hoodie and the black oversized T-shirt.

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BTS 2024 FESTA by Fans — Zip-Up Hoodie

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BTS 2024 FESTA by Fans — Zip-Up Hoodie
(Front and Back)

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BTS 2024 FESTA by Fans — Zip-Up Hoodie
(Front Logo Detail)

The customizable components for these two items were exactly the same. The colours of the actual product and the graphics could not be changed, but the sizing and amount of graphics could. I wanted to keep it simple as these are products that I actually want to wear, so I just chose the FESTA 2024 logo for the front and the BTS symbol on the back (both in a reddish pink tone which, again, was not customizable), but they turned out exactly as I wanted.

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BTS 2024 FESTA by Fans — Oversized T-Shirt
(Front and Back)

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BTS 2024 FESTA by Fans — Oversized T-Shirt
(Shirt Tag)

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BTS 2024 FESTA by Fans — Oversized T-Shirt
(Front Logo Detail)

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BTS 2024 FESTA by Fans — Patch Set

I gotta say, the quality of both the hoodie and the shirt are excellent, in the fabric, stitching, and form. They feel stronger and thicker, like they wouldn't easily tear, shrink, or stretch. Each item also came with a set of two patches — one of the BTS symbol and one of the BTS letter logo — that can be ironed on any fabric item for customization. With the BTS Island: In the SEOM by Fans collection and now this one, I'm excited to see what other customizable collections they'll come out with next.

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