Shop & Stan: BT21 Characters 101 & Merch Spots in Manila
With BTS gearing up for their highly anticipated comeback next year, there’s no better time to revisit the adorable world of BT21—the lovable characters the group created in collaboration with LINE Friends.
Whether you’re a longtime ARMY or a casual listener, BT21 offers a fun and heartwarming way to connect with the K-Pop legends, with each character reflecting the boys’ personalities and creativity. This makes them more than just cute mascots, but an extension of their talent and charm.
If you’re just getting into the fandom or need a refresher, you came to the right place. This is your stan and shop guide to BT21. Meet the squad and find out where you can grab your favorites in Manila!
Who is BT21?
For the uninitiated, BT21 was born in late 2017 when BTS signed on to the LINE Friends’ Creators project, an initiative where the brand works with artists to produce characters and product ideas.
The group was the first to take part in this project and had gathered together to draw the characters themselves. More than creating cartoon avatars, the brand mentioned in their making video that the project goes beyond creating new characters but is a visual representation of “what BTS wants and making them alive in the real world.”
The group name is a mix of “BTS” and “21st century,” inspired by member Suga’s comment that the characters should represent both BTS and the 21st century, so they can live on for the next 100 years.
The characters’ origin story doesn’t stray very far from the group’s identity either, as it also tells about their journey of wanting to become idol superstars. The ever-curious Prince TATA from Planet BT crashes into Earth with his robot companion VAN. With a mission to spread love on the planet, TATA decides to become a star and teams up with six other members: RJ, CHIMMY, MANG, SHOOKY, and KOYA—creating the UNVIERSTAR BT21!
TATA – “An Off-the-Wall, Curious Prince”
Tata was created by member V and is the crown prince of Planet BT. This heart-shaped character is described as a curious soul with supernatural powers, including the ability to stretch his body far and wide!
V had been dubbed a “4D Alien” by fans for his distinctive and endearing personality traits, as well as his otherworldly good looks.
KOYA – “The Gifted Sleepyhead”
This Koala-looking character is shaped by RM and is as brilliant and multi-talented as his creator. However, his brilliance means his mind is always working, so he’s also always sleepy!
Koya also has removable ears and a cute purple nose, which—although unofficial—represents the fandom color.
RJ – “Kind, Loving, Foodie”
Member Jin has always been known as the “mom” of the group, a good cook, and a big foodie! So, it’s no wonder that his character is the same. He resembles an alpaca, which Jin has reportedly been doodling for years and was so happy to finally find a place to use it. The members had also mentioned that he looks like one whenever he munches on food.
More than his cute appearance, RJ is compassionate and makes everyone feel at home, which is similar to how Jin holds everyone together as the eldest of the group.
SHOOKY – “Mini Prankster”
This badass cookie was created by member Suga. During the initial sketching stage, he had wanted to draw his poodle, Holly, but felt like it was too similar to the other members’ creations.
So instead, he drew a bunch of different expressions of his dog Holly, which gave birth to the adorable Shooky, who loves to pull pranks and hates milk.
Valid, Shooky. If we were a cookie, we’d avoid getting dunked in milk, too.
COOKY – “Brawny Hearty Rumps”
It’s a known fact among fans that Jungkook loves to work out, so he made sure to make his character a gym buff like himself. Jungkook has been endearingly called a bunny by fans due to his adorable overbite, so in his initial sketches, he drew a rabbit with a six-pack!
We thought this character perfectly describes the member who is notorious for his duality—one minute he’s the adorable maknae (youngest of the group), the next he’s firing up the stage with his smooth vocals and killer dance moves.
Cooky is almost always seen holding a cookie, which also served as inspiration for Shooky’s character design.
MANG – “Expressive-Faced Dancing Machine”
Mang is a dancing pony created by the group’s main dancer, J-Hope, and wears a mask to hide his face. People have noticed that when J-Hope laughs, his lips are shaped like a heart, which is why Mang’s nose is shaped like one.
Recently, LINE Friends revealed the face behind the mask, and it turns out the pony is a cute squirrel with a heart smile.
CHIMMY – “The Pure-At-Heart”
This adorable puppy represents member Jimin and is a bright ball of sunshine! Jimin had initially named it after his nickname “Chimchim” and had been very invested in the early sketches, even drawing the character in a tuxedo and an army uniform!
The vocalist also made sure the puppy had chubby cheeks, which were one of his defining features back when he debuted, earning him the nickname “Mochi” among fans.
VAN – “Guardian Space Robot”
BTS has always had a close relationship with their fans, so it makes sense that there would be a character for them, too. Van was created by LINE Friends designers, inspired by the group’s interviews about the kind of characters they wanted to create with the brand.
Van is described as an all-knowing robot who protects BT21—a fitting role considering ARMYs are always at BTS' side to protect them.
Where to Find BT21 Merch in Manila?
Now that you’ve met the gang and most likely claimed your favorite (this is a no-bias zone, and we claim to love every character), where exactly can you get them?
BT21 has had numerous partnerships over the years, from food and beverage companies like Dunkin' Donuts and Paris Baguette, to retailers and beloved brands like Uniqlo, Converse, and Vice Cosmetics. They even have virtual stickers on Facebook Messenger and TikTok and have become official promoters of Incheon Airport.
LINE Friends’ online and offline stores are the best places to find the latest BT21 collections, but with shipping costs and the fact that there isn’t a LINE Friends permanent shop in the Philippines, hunting these cuties down can be challenging and expensive.
But luckily, the brand is currently partnering with several retailers here, each of them releasing BT21-inspired merchandise such as shirts, plushies, gadgets, and more. Here are some of the places to stan and shop!
SM Store
Wear your ARMY pride with fashionable tees from SM Department Store, which boasts a ton of them in a variety of colors and designs, featuring the beloved UNIVERSTAR characters. They’re also selling nap pillows, pajama sets, tote bags, plush notebooks, and stationery sets priced as low as P150!
If you’re looking for plushies, head over to Toy Kingdom, where you’ll find all the characters in cuddly forms in varying sizes for no more than P1,000.
SM Group is also holding the very first interactive BT21 pop-up in the country at several of their malls this year, called “BT21: The Journey to the Philippines.” The event features several photo spots and interactive spaces with life-sized character statues where ARMYs can enjoy and show their love for the members.
The Manila leg has just concluded but the tour will continue to bring more love and magic shops across South Luzon, specifically at SM Bacoor (July 9 to 25), SM Santo Tomas (July 31 to Aug. 31), SM Santa Rosa (Aug. 19 to Sept. 7), SM Dasmariñas (Sept. 12 to 26), and SM City Tanza (Oct. 2 to 15).
MINISO
MINISO is known to sell a variety of consumer goods, kitchenware, household items, cosmetics, stationery, and toys. The popular retail chain launched its BT21 collection last year, featuring a variety of character goodies.
There are BT21 plushies, bolster pillows, blankets, earphones, charging cables, night lights, bags, and purses. We’re not even sure we got the whole collection down because there’s an entire shelf aisle and wall dedicated to the collection at every MINISO branch, with items priced between P299 to P2,000. Talk about cute and affordable!
Robinsons Department Store
Another Department Store that has been taken over by the galaxy’s cutest group is Robinsons Malls, which has a line of BT21 apparel from oversized tees (P599) to cozy pajama sets (P749) perfect for lounging at home while watching BTS concert films or docuseries.
Fun fact: Did you know that the first-ever LINE Friends store opened at Robinsons Place Manila way back in 2019? Fingers crossed we get a more permanent shop soon because we simply can’t get enough of them!
Hanabishi
The Philippines’ leading home and kitchen appliance brand has also teamed up with LINE Friends to release limited-edition mini jumbo fans (P1,299).
Perfect for the country’s summer weather, cool down in style with Hanabishi’s adorable fans designed with each character in bright colors. There’s only a limited number of fans produced (24,500 units to be exact!), so make sure to grab yours today at an appliance store near you!
For updates on the latest BT21 collections, follow them on Facebook, X (Formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Instagram.
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