花樣年華 HYYH The Notes 1 (The Most Beautiful Moment in Life #1) is a collection of notes that tells the story of the Bangtan Universe through the perspectives of it’s various characters. It is the first book of an expected series and a piece of the puzzle that is the Bangtan Universe. Once I discovered the BU and that this book existed, I knew I had to read it and share my thoughts with you.
To briefly preface what the Bangtan Universe is, it is an story line created around the members of the K-Pop group BTS. Each member plays a character of the same name and the overall story is their connection to each other and learning to heal from their traumas and tragedies. The Bangtan Universe is told through a collection of many different forms of media, including music videos, short films, and the comic Save Me.
This book is one of the most significant pieces of the universe since it is a chronological collection of all of the “notes” that could be found through BTS albums over the years and each feature snippets of the stories for each character. It is meant to be read after Save Me because it picks up where Save Me left off in a way. So remember that if you want to venture into this universe with me.
My ultimate impression is that this book is fascinating and really well-done. It was especially nice to finally have some semblance of chronology with this universe as it is quite convoluted and mysterious when starting with the films and videos like I did. Having it all in one collection is nice and it definitely reads well as a book.
We also get more information and background on all of these characters which helps piece this puzzle of a story together. It is clear that whoever is involved in creating this universe and plot has put a lot of attention to detail which makes it so good.
While a lot of the puzzle is put together with this book, it still keeps it intriguing and is leading us into a future book (which they have already announced). I definitely still have some questions I want answered, especially with how the book ended, so I am highly looking forward to more of this story coming out.
The one downside of this book is that it is expensive and can be hard to find. Since it is tied to BTS, who has a worldwide audience of millions, they sell quickly and are considered special items which makes them more expensive. I ended up paying $45 for the English version of the book, and doing a quick search most sellers are around that price for the English version. However, if you are really invested in the story and want the convenience of these notes all in one place, I do think it is worth the $45-ish. You can also find all the notes online thanks to fans, but that is much less convenient.
The Most Beautiful Moment in Life #1 is an essential read for anyone wanting to follow the Bangtan Universe. It is also very well-written and an eye-opening piece of the mystery that is the BU. It makes me want to learn more and I am looking forward to the second book that will hopefully release soon. Definitely read Save Me before this though it will give so much clarity and depth you would otherwise miss!
Have you been following the BU? Share your spoiler-free thoughts in the comments below!
Images are from BU related short films, trailers, and music videos
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