BTS Inspires New Wave Of ‘Pokemon’ Masters With A Single Tweet

BTS is busy jetting around the world, but the global sensations still know how to have fun. Sure, the group’s seven members may be at the top of the international charts, but they’re loyal to their otaku roots. And, just recently, the band ushered in a new wave of one-day Pokemon Masters.

How? Well, it wasn’t thanks to Team Rocket, that is for sure.

Over on Twitter, BTS got millions of fans buzzing after the band appeared in an video by Vice UK. The Korean boy group sat down to talk about their preferences, and things go heated when anime was mentioned. A series of questions proved the boys are die-hard anime lovers, but the band wasn’t content to leave Pokemon tabled.

Taking to social media, the official BTS page posted a tweet clarifying an answer during their Vice UK chat. In the interview, RM can be seen throwing his support behind a Pokemon called Mangnanyong, but the leader didn’t know the creature’s English name. So, in order to educate and spread the PokeGospel, RM posted a photo of the Pokemon with fans.

So, for anyone curious, it looks like Mangnanyong is Dragonite. The more you know, huh?

The post has been shared more than 336,000 times, and it has racked up more than one million likes. The impressive social capital backing BTS ensured netizens from all fandoms saw the tweet, and RM kept the Pokemon theme going. In fact, RM drew a version of Dragonite with Chimmy, the BT21 caricature which another member named Jimin designed. The leader posted the drawing to console Jimin after a minor injury sidelined the singer for an on-air performance, and RM made sure to wish his friend a happy birthday as well.

As you can see below, the sudden focus on Pokemon has reignited a new wave of interest in BTS. The group’s diverse fandom demo means some have rediscovered their love of Pokemon‘s anime thanks to BTS, but for others, RM has ushered in their first look at the iconic franchise. So, if you start seeing more Dragonite shirts at BTS concerts, there’s no need to be surprised.

Are you surprised by BTS’ otaku-approved interests? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

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