Hi! It’s Annie!
I feel like this blog is slowly being taken over completely by BTS and I really hope you’re not mad at it. This is a very BTS weekend considering the Grammys, though that situation makes me nervous. So I guess here’s a more lighthearted BTS post before whatever happens tomorrow. Most of you are probably very well aware of the BT21 line. A line of merchandise created by the members of BTS in collaboration with the Line Friends company. We have a different post breaking down the line of merch, mostly focusing on their characters, so that’s not really what I’m going to talk about today. What I am going to talk about is how amazing this store is because I have actually gone twice recently and I had never gone before the last couple months. I haven’t really been going anywhere at all because of quarantine and luckily my sister and I were able to plan our trips to the store so well (don’t go on weekends) that there was barely anybody there when we went both times. So it was entirely safe! But this store is absolutely amazing and beautiful so I have to talk more about it.
The Handprints:
I’m not going to lie and say this wasn’t what I was most excited about seeing when I first went to the store. The Line Friends store is located pretty directly across from the Chinese Theater, which has become a very recognizable trademark of Hollywood. Outside of the Chinese Theater you can see several handprints of celebrities who have cemented their influence into the experience forever. Because of this, the members of BTS actually did the same for the Line Store. Their handprints are hanging around the store in various places. It’s really interesting because Yoongi and Jimin are always teased for being small, while people who have seen them in real life say that this isn’t the case. This really comes across here. All of their hands are so much bigger than my own, including Jimin’s pinky (which he is also made fun of for). Seeing them really makes the boys seem more like real actual human beings. I also have to say, Namjoon and Taehyung’s hands are giant. Each of their handprints are under a sign depicting the character they created for the merch line, which makes it even better. Namjoon’s handprint was actually difficult for me to find at first. I didn’t get a picture of it until the second time we visited the store because you really have to turn around and pay attention to find it. It’s kind of away from the others which I found to be weird.
BTS Store:
Now, I know I keep saying the Line Friends store which is it’s own company itself. They sell other things that are not BTS. But the location in Hollywood is currently their largest location outside of Seoul and it’s almost entirely a BT21 store. There is a very very small section towards the front of their other merchandise, so if you walk into the store wanting to find regular Line Friends merch, this may not be the store for you. This is, for all intents and purposes, a BTS store. The decorations and the merch is nearly all their BTS merchandise. If BT21 is what you wanted, then great! There is so much to see and purchase in the store that has to do with BTS. But not much else. I personally am only interested in buying the BTS themed merch, so this worked in my favor.
Picture Opportunities:
There are so many throughout this store. Crammed in the corner of the very small Line Friends non BTS section is their mascot bear that you can take a picture with. The rest is all BTS. There’s a large painting towards the front of the store of the BT21 characters hanging out in LA as well as a very large Tata who will often be changed for Halloween and Christmas. There’s also a seat surrounded by the members of BT21 that’s currently blocked off for Covid purposes, but it’s still cute. There’s a kissing Chimmy (that you can’t kiss but I don’t know why you would), a piece of art of Tata that you can stand under to make it look like he’s abducting you, a red carpet with a large RJ award on it, and so much more. My favorite of these was actually a large art wall which has some of the original art of the BT21 characters. If you look around you can actually see the art each member of BTS originally drew for their respective characters. The first time I went I barely looked at the wall, but the second time I spent so much of my time there trying to pick out all the things I hadn’t seen before. I would also like to mention that there’s a hidden ‘Where’s Waldo?’ style game that is instead ‘Where’s Shooky?’. I didn’t want to spend too much time in the store because of Covid purposes, but I did take a picture of it and had fun playing the game on my phone later.
The Organization:
I know this isn’t the most fun thing to talk about, but this actually sold me on the store more than I thought it would. Each member of BT21 has their own section in the store marked off with a large picture of them. So if you’re looking for something for a specific character, it’s really easy to find stuff. Most people buy this merch based off of their bias or bias wrecker, so this is actually incredibly helpful for BTS fans wanting to find something bias specific.
The Staff:
Some of the nicest people run this store. Right now you do have to do a fever test and mask up the entire time you’re in the store, which makes it all feel so much safer. But when you’re in there the staff is just so kind and pleasant. But seriously, this is one of the only places that has felt semi-Covid safe to me other than my house.
I just love escaping to this store every once in a while. Especially knowing that this is one of the places the boys stop off in if they’re in LA. But also because it’s just a cute store! I went there recently but now I want to go back again!
See you across the pond!
Sincerely, Annie
Oreos & Peanut Butter 