Fangirling 101: How To Deal When Your Bias Goes Off To The Army

In Korea, there is a price to stanning boy groups and actors that is much more costly than anything money can cover: the military service.

Dun. Dun. Dun.

Men in Korea are required to serve in the military for about two years. Most K-pop idols and actors manage to push it off until they are 30, which is great for fans, but it’s also just delaying the inevitable. In light of many of our beloved celebrities enlisting this year (the whole of BIGBANG, Jung Yong Hwa, to name a few), here are some gifs (and coping strategies) that’ll probably make you go “Me AF.”

First, the mental breakdown

This can’t be happening. Didn’t they just debut yesterday?

There’s no way around it. Everyone goes through it, and so must you. If you skip this stage, it’s bound to come back and hit you when you least expect it.

Then the mental breakdown with other people

Nothing brings a fandom closer than collectively crying over their celebrity.

But slowly, you begin to accept it because, after all, it’s inevitable.

I mean it’s just 21 months right? Not even two full years. Just 638 days. I can wait… *sobs*

To make the time go faster, you can scour the web for any news

Oftentimes, you can get tidbits and quick updates about your bias from the news, especially if they do something particularly valorous (like when TVXQ member Yunho’s passion refused to die, even in the army)… or not.

“Hey, whatcha up to?” “Just looking up news about a man that I have never met and will probably never meet, but I absolutely adore.” “Oh ok.” 

But other times, the articles end up being exclusively in Korean –  or worse, there is no news.

Is it too much to ask for a selfie? 

Bonding with other people in the fandom can also help with the pain.

The saying goes that misery loves company. Whether it’s crying over the lack of news from your bias, or binging old dramas together, the fandom as a whole becomes closer. After all, nobody understands the pain better than your own fandom!

Counting down to their release date, which is (thankfully!) predetermined

And that awful waiting…

Oh, was that a notification from his company? Otherwise, it’s irrelevant. 

and waiting…

and more waiting.

In the meantime, you can go back to old videos, interviews, V Lives, variety shows, and dramas

Even if you’ve memorized what they’ve said, you watch it again… again.

Me watching their V Live for the 56th time. 

Me, watching the drama for the 78th time, and still being shocked by the plot twist.

You’ve watched these shows so many times, you also know exactly when to laugh. Ice cream has also become your best friend.

There may also be an influx of solo activity, if your army man is an idol…

so you won’t be totally left in the dark!

Yay for different birth dates!

Unless, you’re BIGBANG and decided to all enlist together. Not sure which one’s better, to be honest.

And sometimes, unavoidably, they slowly go to the back of your mind.

Hey, life happens, and no one can blame you. And at the rate idols are debuting in Korea and dominating the charts, sometimes, it’s hard to keep stanning when your oppa is virtually off the grid.

But then one day, you see a picture of them in the military, or hear their song playing by chance…

Ooo this song was high-key my jam back then!

and you begin to remember all the memories you had stanning them.

And you realize their return is near! Hallelujah!

Finally, post-army, and you realize their comeback project is coming soon…

…. and also you realize how not-so-cute they look anymore.

Hot. They are downright smokin’.

Hwaiting Soompiers! The release date is closer than it appears!

mayme22’s favorite Bible verses at the moment is Psalm 91:2. 

Currently watching:  “Grand Prince”
Looking forward to: “Live” and “Mr. Sunshine”
All-time favorites: “My Girlfriend is a Gumiho,” “Queen for Seven Days,” and “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo“