Milk, tears, and Digimon: BTS' 'Hot Ones' episode was pure chaos

The group sang the 'Digimon Adventure' theme song while trying to survive the wing challenge.
 By 
Crystal Bell
 on 
BTS on Hot Ones
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Some things can feel so specific, so perfectly engineered in a lab to appeal directly to me. Today, that thing is the members of BTS singing "Butter-Fly" by Kōji Wada, the iconic opening theme to Digimon Adventure, during an appearance on Hot Ones.

The members approached the hot wings challenge with wildly different strategies. V called it quits a few wings in — smart! — and spent the rest of the episode slamming pints of milk. Jin attempted to expel the chili demons from his body through a series of guttural screams, while j-hope tried to walk it off. RM kept his tears hidden behind his sunglasses, while Jimin and Jung Kook mostly played it cool, rallying themselves every round with an enthusiastic "come on, wing!" And then there was Suga: the silent wing assassin, who only showed his weakness at the very end.

As the wings got hotter, the conversation only got more charming. Jin talked about his love of fishing, Jung Kook shared his perfect tteokbokki recipe, and the group reflected on their latest album, Arirang, and the world tour that just kicked off in Seoul.

Even through sweat dabbing, milk chugging, and increasingly desperate reactions to the wings, the episode doubled as a reminder of why spending time with BTS is always such a delight: No matter how chaotic things get, they never stop being deeply themselves — especially when it comes to their favorite anime OSTs.

An image of Crystal Bell's face
Crystal Bell
Digital Culture Editor

Crystal Bell is the Digital Culture Editor at Mashable, where she leads coverage of the creator economy, internet culture, and digital life. Her work focuses on the people, platforms, and communities shaping modern entertainment, from YouTube creators and livestreamers to fandoms, social media trends, and the evolving relationship between technology and culture. She also oversees the Mashable 101, the publication's annual list recognizing the internet's most influential creators.

Previously, she was the entertainment director at MTV News, where she helped expand the brand's coverage of fan culture, K-pop, and the internet's most passionate communities. Her work has appeared in Teen Vogue, Rolling Stone, PAPER, NYLON, ELLE, Glamour, NME, W, The FADER, and elsewhere on the internet.

She's exceptionally fluent in fandom and will gladly make you a K-pop playlist and/or provide anime recommendations upon request. Crystal lives in New York City with her two black cats, Howl and Sophie.


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