# Begins ≠ Youth
**Begins ≠ Youth** (비긴즈유스; also known as YOUTH or 유스) is a South Korean web drama based on the BTS Universe, the fictional storyline that BTS and its agency HYBE have developed through albums, music videos, books, and a webtoon since 2015 under the title "The Most Beautiful Moment in Life" (화양연화, HYYH). The series depicts the friendship and growth of seven boys, characters who carry the BTS members' likenesses but lead fictional lives told through metaphors and symbolism.[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/64667/begins-youth) • [2](https://xclusive.market/content/beginsyouth)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | 12-episode Korean web drama, episodes of roughly 69 minutes, rated 15+[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/64667/begins-youth) • [3](https://cine21.com/tv/info/?tv_id=25306) |
| Original run | April 30 to May 14, 2024, on the web channel Xclusive; episodes released in three batches of four[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/64667/begins-youth) • [4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/news/korean/bts-inspired-k-drama-begins-youth-earns-rave-reviews-actors-praised-for-perfect-portrayal-of-bts-members/articleshow/109838325.cms) |
| Source material | The BTS Universe (BU), introduced with the "I NEED U" music video in 2015 and expanded through the Save Me webtoon, the HYYH Notes books, and other content[2](https://xclusive.market/content/beginsyouth) • [5](https://kpoplife.com/begins-youth-bts-inspired-drama/) |
| Production | HYBE and Chorokbaem Media; director Kim Jae-hong; screenwriters Kim Soo-jin and Choi Woo-joo[6](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/BEGINS_%E2%89%A0_YOUTH) |
| Main cast | Seo Ji-hoon, Noh Jong-hyun, Ahn Ji-ho, Seo Young-joo, Kim Yoon-woo, Jung Woo-jin, and Jeon Jin-seo as the seven boys[6](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/BEGINS_%E2%89%A0_YOUTH) |
| Distribution | Exclusive to Xclusive for two years after first official sale; streaming discontinued on the platform from October 11, 2025, at the copyright holder's request[2](https://xclusive.market/content/beginsyouth) • [7](https://xclusive.market/) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and characters
The drama follows seven students who begin in precarious situations and, through sympathy, friendship, and their own experiences, become precious to one another. Although the young people have fictional names distinct from those of the BTS members, while their characters are based on the BTS Universe, they tell fictional narratives presented through metaphors and symbolism.[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/64667/begins-youth) • [13](https://kstyle.com/article.ksn?articleNo=2165986) The story begins when Kim Hwan meets the other six boys and learns that each is dealing with his own struggles; together they learn to overcome their greatest difficulties.[6](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/BEGINS_%E2%89%A0_YOUTH) The setting is the fictional city of Songju-si, where the boys navigate personal and familial challenges.[8](https://www.lmconfidential.com/assets/2024/aug_2024.pdf)
The seven lead roles and the BTS members they parallel are:
- Seo Ji-hoon as Kim Hwan (paralleling Seokjin)[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/64667/begins-youth)
- Noh Jong-hyun as Min Se-in (Yoongi)[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/64667/begins-youth)
- Seo Young-joo as Kim Do-gun (Namjoon)[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/64667/begins-youth)
- [Jung Woo](https://www.edgepedia.org/jung-woo)-jin as Kim Joo-ahn (Taehyung)[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/64667/begins-youth)
- Jeon Jin-seo as Jeon Je-ha (Jungkook)[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/64667/begins-youth)
- An Ji-ho as Jeong Ho-su[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/64667/begins-youth)
- [Kim Yoon-woo](https://www.edgepedia.org/kim-yoon-woo) as Park Ha-ru (Jimin)[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/64667/begins-youth)
The supporting cast includes Jung Sung-il as Kim Hwan's father Kim Chang-joon, Kim Nam-hee as his secretary Song Joon-ho, Nam Myung-ryul as the principal of Songju Jeil High School, and Woo Hee-jin as Jeon Je-ha's mother Hwang Seo-yoon.[6](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/BEGINS_%E2%89%A0_YOUTH)
The themes the series takes up are heavy for a school drama: family obligations, loss, poverty, abandonment, violence, and rejection.[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/news/korean/bts-inspired-k-drama-begins-youth-earns-rave-reviews-actors-praised-for-perfect-portrayal-of-bts-members/articleshow/109838325.cms) Viewer discussion has flagged abuse, generational trauma, mental illness, and suicide among the topics it treats.[9](https://www.usbtsarmy.com/bangtan-universe-guide) The last episode, "Begins ∞ Youth," was broadcast on May 14, 2024; in it, as the boys adjust to their own lives and start seeking solutions of their own, they face unbearable tragedies that recur like a treadmill, and the boy who grasps the truth takes a step from the end toward a new beginning.[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/64667/begins-youth)
## Place in the BTS Universe
The BTS Universe is a multi-platform fictional narrative spanning albums, books, short films, webtoons, and a 2020 video game, in which characters based on the seven members are caught in a cycle of repeated suffering, with one given the chance to go back in time to set things right.[5](https://kpoplife.com/begins-youth-bts-inspired-drama/) • [9](https://www.usbtsarmy.com/bangtan-universe-guide) *Begins ≠ Youth* expands on the storyline fans had followed through BTS's music videos and the Save Me webtoon, and was inspired by the 2015 花樣年華 (The Most Beautiful Moment in Life) album.[6](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/BEGINS_%E2%89%A0_YOUTH) The trailer referenced past BTS work, including the "Spring Day" music video, and closed with the song "Mikrokosmos" over its final frame.[5](https://kpoplife.com/begins-youth-bts-inspired-drama/)
## Production and release history
HYBE (then Big Hit Entertainment) announced the project years before release; chairman [Bang Si-hyuk](https://www.edgepedia.org/bang-si-hyuk) told reporters the drama, then untitled, was slated for a 2020 release.[5](https://kpoplife.com/begins-youth-bts-inspired-drama/) The premiere slipped repeatedly: the series was originally slated for 2021 but delayed for post-production improvements, and a teaser trailer released at Korea Expo in Paris on May 14, 2023 was presented as the first paradigm of content distribution with Web 3.0 technology.[10](https://bts.fandom.com/wiki/Begins_%E2%89%A0_Youth) A main trailer followed on November 27, 2023, with the release date then given as the second half of 2023, later moved to the first half of 2024.[10](https://bts.fandom.com/wiki/Begins_%E2%89%A0_Youth)
The series premiered on April 30, 2024 with its first four episodes, followed by episodes 5 through 8 on May 7 and episodes 9 through 12 on May 14.[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/news/korean/bts-inspired-k-drama-begins-youth-earns-rave-reviews-actors-praised-for-perfect-portrayal-of-bts-members/articleshow/109838325.cms) Xclusive, operated by Fingerlabs, carried the drama exclusively for two years after first official sale.[2](https://xclusive.market/content/beginsyouth) On October 11, 2025, at midnight KST, the drama was removed from Xclusive at the request of the copyright holder.[7](https://xclusive.market/)
## Reception
Reviewers praised the seven lead actors, all newcomers, for capturing the nuances and body language of the members they parallel, and noted that the show works for viewers unfamiliar with the Bangtan Universe as well as for fans.[11](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/begins-youth-review-bts-inspired-k-drama-is-genuine-ode-to-their-universe-2536776-2024-05-08) The main criticism was availability: the drama was not on any major global streaming platform, which limited access in most countries.[11](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/begins-youth-review-bts-inspired-k-drama-is-genuine-ode-to-their-universe-2536776-2024-05-08) On the tracking site MyShows, the twelve episodes averaged 4.9 out of 5 as of October 2026, with "Hide and Seek," "The Note," "Man in the Mirror," and "13th Apostle" rated highest at 5.00.[12](https://en.myshows.me/view/81834/rating/) Filipino singer Angeline Quinto released the track "Take It All" for the series.[8](https://www.lmconfidential.com/assets/2024/aug_2024.pdf)
## References
1. [BEGINS ≠ YOUTH, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/64667/begins-youth)
2. [BEGINS ≠ YOUTH, Xclusive official page](https://xclusive.market/content/beginsyouth)
3. [비긴즈유스 (Begins≠Youth), Cine21](https://cine21.com/tv/info/?tv_id=25306)
4. [BTS-inspired K-drama 'BEGINS ≠ YOUTH' earns rave reviews, Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/news/korean/bts-inspired-k-drama-begins-youth-earns-rave-reviews-actors-praised-for-perfect-portrayal-of-bts-members/articleshow/109838325.cms)
5. [BTS-Inspired K-Drama 'Begins Youth' Stirs Excitement With Full Trailer, K-Pop Life](https://kpoplife.com/begins-youth-bts-inspired-drama/)
6. [BEGINS ≠ YOUTH, DramaWiki](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/BEGINS_%E2%89%A0_YOUTH)
7. [Xclusive notice: termination of streaming service for Begins Youth](https://xclusive.market/)
8. [LM Confidential, August 2024 report](https://www.lmconfidential.com/assets/2024/aug_2024.pdf)
9. [Bangtan Universe Guide, US BTS ARMY](https://www.usbtsarmy.com/bangtan-universe-guide)
10. [BEGINS ≠ YOUTH, BTS Wiki (Fandom)](https://bts.fandom.com/wiki/Begins_%E2%89%A0_Youth)
11. [Begins Youth Review: BTS-inspired K-drama is genuine ode to their universe, India Today](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/begins-youth-review-bts-inspired-k-drama-is-genuine-ode-to-their-universe-2536776-2024-05-08)
12. [Rating of seasons and episodes of BEGINS ≠ YOUTH, MyShows](https://en.myshows.me/view/81834/rating/)
13. [実名使用で一部ファンから懸念の声も…BTS（防弾少年団）の世界観を描くドラマ「YOUTH」役名を変えて再撮影へ - Kstyle](https://kstyle.com/article.ksn?articleNo=2165986)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › East Asian web and streaming serials › Titles symbols to Co*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license