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The recent release of an 11-minute animated short by Japanese studio CloverWorks, intended to promote the BTS-inspired webtoon 7FATES: CHAKHO, ignited controversy among fans due to the noticeable absence of Jimin's character, Haru. This omission led to widespread disappointment and sparked discussions about the representation of all BTS members in related projects.
7FATES: CHAKHO is an urban fantasy webtoon created with HYBE, the company behind BTS. It takes place in the gritty city of Sin-si and follows seven young guys who come together as tiger hunters, known as Chakho, to fight off dangerous creatures called beom. Each character is inspired by a member of BTS, giving fans a fun take on the group:
- Haru (Jimin): A former guardian spirit who protected the entrance between humans and the beom world, now living as a human.
- Zeha (Jungkook): The main guy who wakes up without any memory and finds out he's meant to fight the beom.
- Jooan (V): A kind-hearted character caught up in a tricky relationship with a beom.
- Do-geon (RM): A crime expert who knows weapons well and shows a lot of strength and grit.
- Hosu (j-hope): A character with a tough history of being held captive by beom, which gives him some mysterious skills.
- Cein (Suga): A guy who survived a beom attack and is dealing with the trauma while looking for revenge.
- Hwan (Jin): A laid-back archer whose life changes after meeting a beom.
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The webtoon debuted on January 14, 2022, and concluded on May 19, 2023, amassing nearly 35 million views during its run.
CloverWorks, known for shows like Spy x Family and Wonder Egg Priority, created this animated short to bring the webtoon's world to life. Shin Wakabayashi directed it, and it features great visuals and engaging storytelling.
The voice cast includes Shoya Ishige as Zeha, Miyuri Shimabuku as Haru, Yuichi Nakamura as Jooan, Yuya Uchida as Hwan, Ryohei Kimura as Cein, and Chikahiro Kobayashi as Do-geon.
Upon the short's release, fans quickly noticed the alleged absence of Haru, Jimin's character, leading to a wave of disappointment and concern across social media platforms. Many expressed that excluding Haru not only diminishes the narrative's integrity but also overlooks Jimin's contribution to the project. One fan wrote on X:
"I hope you guys don't support this, they completely erased haru (jimin's character).. he is being sabotaged in every universe"
Some speculate that either Haru's character from 7FATES: CHAKHO was completely erased in the anime adaptation, or he was changed into the girl with the black hair as seen in the 11-minute video.
"Wait now that watched it, why is there a girl instead of jimin's character?" a fan wrote.
"One question only where is haaru slash jimin in this," another fan added.
"But why did thy erase haru ( jimin's character) and replaced it with a girl? Since when is bts 6," another fan emphasized.
Others expressed similar disappointment, while a few tried to deduce that the 11-minute video could be "inspired" by 7FATES: CHAKHO and not strictly based on it, and that's why the characters seem so different and Jimin's character Haru seems to be missing.
"A couple of considerations after I watched the trailer: 1. Very curious that the characters are entirely different (aside from Dogeon, the only one I recognised). 2. I believe this is an "inspired by" situation, not a transposition of the webtoon into an anime," a fan noted.
"Naming the group but erasing one member. No need to guess who’s character is erased," another fan reacted.
"Could’ve have stick with the original plot and characters. My OG Zeha and Haru," another fan said.
7FATES: CHAKHO: Plot overview, themes, and cultural significance
Set in the corrupt city of Sin-si, 7FATES: CHAKHO follows the journey of seven young men brought together by destiny to combat supernatural creatures known as "beom," which are wreaking havoc on the city.
The narrative draws inspiration from the historical "chakhogapsa," tiger hunters commissioned during the Joseon Dynasty, reimagining them in a modern, dystopian context.
7FATES: CHAKHO protagonist, Zeha, awakens in a hospital with no recollection of recent events and soon discovers his unique connection to the beom. As he delves deeper, he encounters six other individuals—Jooan, Haru, Do-geon, Hosu, Cein, and Hwan—each with their own tragic pasts linked to the beom.
Together, they form the Chakho unit, dedicated to eradicating the beom threat and restoring peace to Sin-si. 7FATES: CHAKHO delves into themes of destiny, resilience, and camaraderie. By integrating elements of Korean mythology, particularly the lore surrounding tiger hunters, the webtoon pays homage to cultural narratives while presenting them in a contemporary setting.
The series culminates in a climactic confrontation between the Chakho unit and the beom. Throughout their journey, the characters confront personal traumas and forge unbreakable bonds. The finale emphasizes themes of sacrifice and unity, leaving readers with a poignant reflection on the power of collective strength.
Furthermore, the webtoon also inspired the popular K-drama, Begins Youth, where all 7 male leads' character names were taken from 7FATES: CHAKHO. The story was based on BTS' HYYH (Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa) trilogy album series. It is also known as The Most Beautiful Moment in Life or Youth.
Fans can access 7FATES: CHAKHO on the WEBTOON platform, where all episodes are available for reading.
