BTS In the SOOP puts seven men in a forest, cuts the cameras down to a bare minimum, and lets them sit still for an entire season. It is a show about doing nothing, and it is the best version of that idea anyone has made in years.
The premise is simple. BTS, the global supergroup, gets out of Seoul and into a remote forest location. There is no schedule, no prompt, no scripted task. The show’s tagline — “between everyday life and rest” — sets the stakes: this is a time for healing, for freedom, and for simply being together.
Trailer, via INTHESOOP_TV.
The First Season
The first season premiered on August 19, 2020, on JTBC and Weverse. It ran eight episodes. The band spends a week in the forest, engaging in various hobbies both indoors and out. The absence of a structured schedule is the point. They can do things they did not take time off to do, or could not do because they were too busy.
The show is a reality series created by Big Hit Entertainment and Big Hit Three Sixty. It stars the full group: RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook. Each member plays himself.
The Second Season
A second season followed, produced by Hybe 360. It premiered on October 15, 2021, and ran four episodes on JTBC. The Weverse version stretched to five episodes, with the final one exclusive to the platform and airing on November 12, 2021.
This season changes the setting. Instead of a forest, the band spends four days at a private villa in the mountains. The format stays the same: minimal interference from the production staff, no forced activity, and the members left to their own devices.
What the Show Actually Does
The show’s strength comes from its restraint. Most reality TV fills silence with talk, argument, or manufactured tension. BTS In the SOOP fills silence with silence. The camera watches the members cook, play games, nap, and wander through the woods. That patience pays off.
The show also captures small, telling details. One episode shows Jimin and Jung Kook playing guitar together, trading verses and harmonies without a single prompt. Another shows SUGA and j-hope building a campfire, arguing over the wood and the kindling, and eventually settling into quiet conversation once the flames catch.
These moments are the heart of the show. They are not staged. They are not designed. They are just BTS being BTS, in a space where the world does not ask for their attention.
How the Seasons Compare
| Season | Episodes | Platform | Setting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 8 | JTBC / Weverse | Forest |
| Season 2 | 4 (JTBC) / 5 (Weverse) | JTBC / Weverse | Mountain villa |
The table above shows the scale of the project. Eight episodes of forest, then four episodes of mountain. The Weverse version of season two adds an extra episode, giving viewers who follow the platform a longer look at the villa than those who watch on JTBC.
A Quiet Masterpiece
There is a temptation to call BTS In the SOOP a minor work because it does not try to be major. That would be wrong. This show understands something fundamental about celebrity: fame is exhausting, and the people who earn it deserve a moment to stop moving.
The show’s success rests on the trust it builds with its audience. Viewers watch because they want to see these men relax, not because they want to see them perform. The absence of conflict, the lack of drama, is the whole point.
The show also respects its subject. It does not mock BTS for being successful, nor does it treat them as caricatures of themselves. It simply shows them as they are: seven friends who share a house, a career, and a love of quiet.
Why It Works
BTS In the SOOP works because it is honest about its purpose. It is not a documentary about BTS’s rise, nor is it a behind-the-scenes look at the industry. It is a show about what happens when BTS is allowed to be ordinary, even for a week.
The show’s tagline, “between everyday life and rest,” captures the balance it achieves. The members are not escaping their lives entirely. They are stepping away from the schedule, the pressure, and the constant demand for performance. They are resting, and the show lets them do it.
The show also benefits from the chemistry of its cast. RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook have spent years performing together. Their ease with each other is visible in every frame. They joke, they argue, they listen, and they move on.
The Verdict
BTS In the SOOP is a masterclass in restraint. It knows what it is, and it does not pretend otherwise. It is a show about sitting, walking, cooking, and talking, and it makes all of that compelling.
The show is available on JTBC and Weverse, with the full Weverse catalog including the exclusive fifth episode of season two. Anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to take a week off from the world should watch it.
The show is a reminder that sometimes the most interesting thing a person can do is nothing at all. BTS In the SOOP proves that by doing exactly that, and doing it well.
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