I Summary - Charity Blossom: Fill & Download for Free

The main difference is that they are culturally and socially acknowledged and accepted.Yakuza do not have a need to hide. As a criminal organization they keep a low profile in their illegal activities but most of their activities are under a legal banner as of today.They have existed for such long time in a cultural context that made them largely accepted by authorities and the population that they still hold a fairly similar status in Japanese society to the one they have had for centuries. Their influence within political circles is still present.The origins of the Yakuza can be found in both mythos and history. The yakuza believe they stem from ronin, samurais who had lost their daimyo (feudal lord) or had been exiled by him and roamed the land as soldiers of fortune or errant sword wielding good samaritans. As villagers were oppressed by authorities and warlords, groups of ronin banded together to defend the villagers and ensure themselves of their safety in exchange of which the villagers honored them with different forms of payments. These ronins who banded together were commonly refered to as kabukimono or “ crazy ones”. They were notorious fo their eccentric behaviors, a sense of theatricality and panache characterized by flashy outfits - some even going as far as cross dressing- weird unusual hairstyles and make up only matched in bizareness by their unusually long swords, strange customized weapons and a particular slang only their members could speak and understand. They were rebels against the status quo to the core and somewhat a “punk” and dichotomic version of the errant knight often behaving rudely and being loud and no stranger to the practice of tsujigiri, which implied testing a newly acquired weapon by cutting down a random passer-by but yet occasionally behaving very honorably, standing up for the weak and defenseless and giving the helping hand or charity to the poor and the orphan... The kabukimono then went on to extend their operation to shady commerce and illegal gambling which gave birth to the yakuza. The yakuza are strongly attached to their samurai origins and still refer to themselves as ninkyo dantai or “chivalrous band”.As far as what history mentions about the Yakuza, during the Edo era (17th century), the social classes of merchants of stolen goods (tekiya) and gamblers (bakuto) were regarded as part of the litter of society. Despite the disdain they instilled, their underground network was highly productive and provided entertainment and business opportunities to more “ noble” members of the society. Their financial success required networks of bakuto and tekiya to employ their own security personel and enforcers. As these networks grew and gained in societal inluence both through the use of violence, bribing, loan sharking, extortion, blackmailing, political contacts and economical means, they were finally granted a semi-legal status by the authorities and even the right to carry a sword ( yet only a wakizachi or short sword, the wielding of katana being exclusive to the samurai class) they gradually allied themselves into a powerful entity that shared similar intricated codes, methods and secrecy of action. As they view themselves “ a dragon, silent and powerful”.The name yakuza itself finds its direct origin in the gambling underworld and a popular game of cards called oicho-kabu in which the losing hand is 8+9+3=20 which is equal to 0 points. This losing hand is refered to as ya “8”, ku “ 9”, za “ 3”… And so yakuza, litteraly meaning “ losing hand” or “ good for nothing”, was adopted as a name in reference to their ill considered place in society.It has been so ever since.The Yakuza still operates within the same circles it first sprung from, most of the nightclubs and gambling halls are owned by the yakuza, so is prostitution, the porn industry, the fight business (good examples are kickboxing organization K-1 and mixed martial arts league DREAM which were notoriously yakuza parented) and much of the hotel and restauration branch but the organization streches out strong ramifications reaching far up within the world of real estate, industry and finance.Despite an ever changing world, the original traditional structure of the Yakuza has remained very much the same since its inception. The particularity of that organisation being that their entire hierarchy is based on a father and son system. Every recruit is referred to as kobun (child) and answers to a oyabun (father). And so a sacred patriarchal family system in which filial loyalty is at the base of everything, forms the solid ground for yakuza basic organizational culture. The kobun themselves are bound to a seniorship system of shatei (little brothers) and kyodai (big brothers). A formal ceremony known as sakazuki, seals the bond between father and son by drinking sake (rice liquor) from a cup which is offered by the oyabun to his adopted child. From that moment the newly adopted son must renounce all ties to his family and thus dedicate his loyalty to his new family and father. Being a newly recruited little brother is a grueling process of submission and humiliation. The little brother basically is an errand boy who first has to work hard in order to earn the respect of his older brothers and father by being particularly deferent, obedient, loyal and dedicated to his assignments, whatever their nature. During that period of his training, the little brother is assigned to menial and diminishing tasks such as gardening, cleaning, catering, waitering… That period can be somewhat compared to a bootcamp in which the little brother is forbidden to wear anything else than a crisp clean tracksuit or overalls and should almost never make eye contact with his elders. He is often insulted, refered to with degrading names, yelled at and slapped behind the head. Almost never anything he does is deemed well performed or correct and he must endure critique and insult with self-control, giving respect in return and showing deference. Once that period is passed, he is then allowed to wear proper, fashionable, clean clothing and graduates to assignements such as driving, collecting and other assisting but more dignifying tasks. He is also taught to understand, participate in and organize many of the formal codes and traditional ceremonies which are integral parts of the yakuza culture. The yakuza pride themselves in adopting young men in their family, giving them purpose, meaning and ambition in life as well as passing on to them the old ways of traditional social etiquette and codes of honor and respect which the recent westernization of Japan tends to dilute further as time passes by. Despite their adaptation to the modern world, the yakuza are fiercely attached to traditions and their old cultural ways which they are particluarly keen in conserving and cultivating.One of the most popular components of yakuza lore is the ornamental tattoos that characterizes its members. These tattoos are of irezumi (Japanese traditional tattoo) type and are often performed the traditional way or teburi, manually with a sharpen bamboo stick repeatedly jammed into the skin which is a particularly long and painful process for the recipient and which requires long experience and advanced knowledge of the craft from the increasingly rare masters who perform them. The lore of Yakuza tattoo symbology is ancient and complex, drawing inspiration in religion, mythology and superstition with many specific meanings and codifications which body of knowledge could be the subject of an entire treatise. The tattoos are supposed to not only serve as to identify members to one another and proving their appartenance to the group but also as to provide spiritual and physical protection and strength to the bearer. Reccurent themes and symbols are brave warriors and legendary samurais such as the likes of Musashibo Benkei and other ferocious swordsmen. Many demons and oni, which are ogers and trolls said to have terrorized villagers and punished evildoers in Japanese folklore along with many creatures of the traditional spiritual Underworld many of which are revered by the yakuza. Koi fish (Japanese carp) supposedely facilitate and bring good fortune while doing commerce or transactions, symbolize strife and determination for success against bad odds and are folklorically endowed with many masculine qualities such as strength and bravery, originally for their propensity to swim upstream. The much reccurent dragon symbolizes strength, ferocity and wealth but also cunning, wisdom and knowledge. The tiger, emblem embraced by the samurai often paired with a dragon if designed in accordance with the ancient style symbolizes fierceness, and protects from evil spirits and disease which it feeds from. The snake, symbolizes recovery from physical harm or protection against the results of bad decisions. Chrisanthemum flowers which are traditionally placed in caskets during funerals, implemented in tattoos, serve as a garanty of post mortem dignity in the case of sudden, isolated death and abscence of ceremony. The list goes on and on with butterflies, waves, tsunamis, cherry blossoms, religious saintly figures and even strong female folkloric characters among countless other symbols.While these last decades have seen a rising fashion trend among Westerners to sport irezumi tattoos and any soccer mom can wake up one sudden morning and decide to acquire “sleeves” or an entire “bodysuit” loaded with the aforementioned symbols and themes, the wearing of irezumi is still a very sensitive subject in modern Japanese society. Not every Japanese feels entitled to bare this sort of ornaments. Heavy pieces of irezumi tattoos are still culturally strongly tied to the criminal underworld. If you are to come across a Japanese man of any age with irezumi tattoed back, chest, arms, thighs and legs, there is a +90% chance that this man has a criminal background or is an active criminal. The tattoos themselves are traditionally concealed to the public by the yakuza and are usually displayed solely to peers and counterparts in some specific social contexts, for that matter they often convey meetings in bathhouses where one must be naked and therefore is not only obliged to show his tattoos but also to prove he is not conceiling a weapon. These tattoos can be a lifetime ongoing piece of artwork which gradual upgrades tell the personal stories and personality traits of its owner. There are also considered a status symbol among peers who pride themselves in displaying the signature of the most reknown artists, adding to their bragging rights. Another interesting fact regarding the particulars and practice of yakuza tattoos is that the red pigment used for certain colorations, traditionally contains a mildly toxic compound which provokes fever, nausea, headaches, muscular pain and other ailments, making an already painstaking process even more painful to the recipient. For that reason, the amount of red displayed by a member on his tattoos serves as a good indication of his pain treshold and so as to how mentally tough he is.This particularly strong attachement to the ancient values and codes without which the yakuza could not persevere and remain strong throughout the centuries they have existed can be particularly well illustrated by yubitsume.The strong sense of honor and loyalty that the yakuza define in their fallen samurai ancestry is only matched by their sense of secrecy and dedication to their peers and elders. Failing to uphold that standard by faulting gravely to their codes never goes unpunished. The ritual of yubitsume requires the guilty member to apologize in the most sincere possible fashion to his elders, apology which cannot simply be performed with words but can only be meant by action and sacrifice. In that gruesome ceremony, the wrongdoer places his hand on a piece of clean white cloth and after tourniqueting his little finger, proceeds to sever the tip above the top knuckle using a sharp knife of tanto type. The severed piece of finger is then wrapped in the white cloth and presented in deferent fashion to his oyabun. When the oyabun accepts the knuckle, he symbolically accepts the apology. A further offense would cost the next knuckle. And so on, as seen on the picture above. In the early days of the yakuza, yubitsume (finger shortening) implied that the amputation of the little finger would weaken and eventually inhibit the correct grip and use of a sword which in the world they lived in, rendered these shamed men particularly vulnerable and would thus require them to depend even more on the protection of their gang. Which in its turn would force them to tread particularly carefully and avoid further mistakes. Yubitsume is also said to have been accepted by the early tekiya and bakuto who formed the embryonic Yakuza as an acceptable form of reparation for past due financial debts.The history and world of the Yakuza is much darkness and shadows but also light and shades of gray. Since its origins, the organization is said to also have much cared for the orphan, the poor, the elderly and as the belief goes, to have physically protected villagers and lower class city dwellers against the brutality of raiding brigands and feudal lords. To this day the charity of the yakuza is reknown for its generosity, which they display by their many charitative endeavours throughout the country. One recent exemple is their very significant relief effort after the Kobe earthquake in 1995 and Tohoku earthquake in 2011. The Yakuza is paradoxically also very effective in mitigating the levels of criminality in Japan. Japan is considered one the safest places in the world for a reason, other types of organized crime and petty criminality have a hard time to escape the reach of the Yakuza which is comparatively much more ancient, defined, implanted, capable and particularly feared and respected. Among the general public, yakuza inspire a broad spectrum of sentiment from disdain to awe, they are still the losing hand of society but in Japanese culture remains a trace of martial spirit that earns them a certain form of respect and admiration for their virility and well defined, unapologetic sense of identity. The youth that joins the Yakuza, often misguided, restless young men who instead of drifting around in thugish fashion are taught discipline, respect as well as a strict behavioral code and in that process generally turn out to become particularly well-behaved. Random acts of violence are severely reprimanded by their underworld family and so tend to be a relatively rare occurence. To what extent is something that is difficult for me personally to assess without field obervation.This text is a very brief summary of a much complex subject that deserve more depth and expertise to be explored in more thorough fashion and is simply the product of some of the knowledge about this particular organization I came accross overtime in my constant research of the subject of organized crime, cultural anthropology in the context of masculinity and self-determination.Stay Strongall photos by Anton Kusters.See AlsoKriztofer Plitzkin's answer to How are the Yakuza and Triad gangs still around when they’re so well known and referenced in many movies?Kriztofer Plitzkin's answer to Who is the current leader of the Yakuza?

Hello there. This question has been popping up on my homepage so I decided to answer it.Just some background information: I am an A.R.M.Y. and a big fan of BLACKPINK (not a blink because of some reasons).Honestly speaking, we have no right to compare a boy group and a girl group that hasn’t been in the industry for the same amount of time.Disclaimer: This answer is, in no way, trying to discredit any of the above groups.Edit: So the question is now changed to “Why is BTS way better than BLACKPINK?” so if anyone is reading this after the change let me you, that’s not what I answered. I have answered “Do you think BLACKPINK is better than BTS?” so do not take this the wrong way.Let’s have an analysis of both these groups in the following categories:DebutFandom [only approximate numbers]Popularity [In S. Korea & internationally]SalesVocalsRappingDancingLyrics & DiversityAchievements [including awards and music show wins]PerformancesMusic videosI know that’s a lot but why not? If we are doing this then let’s do it the right way.DEBUTBTS [Bangtan Sonyeondan/방탄소년단]: June 13, 2013 (Active for 7 years) with the song ‘No More Dream’ which received something around 20K views one day after its release if I’m not mistaken.BLACKPINK: August 8, 2016 (Active for 4 years) with the song ‘BOOMBAYAH’ which was an instant hit with around 3.3M views in the first 24 hours.Source: BLACKPINK M/V views in 24 Hours | BLINK (블링크) AminoThis wasn’t a competition but just a slight reminder that BTS has been active for 3 years more than BLACKPINK. This didn’t give them any more privilege since BLACKPINK did get a lot of fame since the very beginning of their career. Technically speaking, BTS got their first music show win in 2015 and BLACKPINK got it in 2016 so there’s not much of a difference there. Those 2–3 years that BTS had before BLACKPINK were necessary since their company wasn’t a popular one so they needed time to be recognized.There’s clearly a huge difference…Moving on…FANDOMHere I’ll put forth the estimated numbers of both their fandoms and their average ages just for reference later.A.R.M.Y. [BTS]: The count on Google is above 130M but I seriously doubt that… (This count comes from a voting poll I think)Credit: Urshia Sameen's answer to How many fans does BTS have?No one knows the real count though.Followers:Twitter: BTS_twt- 22M; bts_bighit- 17MInstagram: 28.8MTikTok: Last time I checked it was 1M+ and after that TikTok got banned in my country. (Now it has 14.6M)YouTube: Big Hit Labels- 45.2M BANGTANTV- 38.3M [Updated]Vlive: 21.9MBlinks [BLACKPINK]: They do have 50M+ subscribers on YouTube and have around 100M followers in total but the count of blinks isn’t defined.Followers:Twitter: 4.9MInstagram: 27.7M (Official BLACKPINK account not individual)TikTok: 13.6MYouTube: 50MVlive: 10.1MSource: My eyes saw their followers on each of these.Winner: BTS takes lead on all platforms except YouTube and ARMY is the bigger fandom supposedly.Composition of the fandom:GenderBTS:Source: 10 Mind-Blowing BTS Facts and Statistics.BLACKPINK:Source: Which K-pop girl group has mostly female fans than male fans?.2. AgeBTS:Source: The Dark Side of the BTS ARMY: Inside the FandomBLACKPINK:I couldn’t find a graph with ages of all fans but this is for the ones who attended concerts.Source: BLACKPINK Attracts Younger Female Audiences, According To Data From Vivid SeatsConclusion: Both the fandoms have more females and are on the younger side (duh.)POPULARITYHere popularity is like how many people know these groups regardless of the fact that they are fans or not.In Korea:BTS:The Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) conducted the survey of 341 Koreans and 265 foreigners from March 25 to May 24, asking respondents about South Korea’s general image.More than 48 per cent of the Korean nationals said BTS were the Koreans they most wanted to meet.This gives the idea that BTS is quite well known in Korea. This survey didn’t have any specifications but still, BTS was voted number 1. But many Koreans may prefer other bands like EXO.Source: BTS are voted the Koreans most people want to meetMore sources: Is BTS famous in Korea?How popular is BTS in Korea?BLACKPINK:Is BlackPink popular in Korea?BLACKPINK's popularity in KoreaThese sources mention how other groups like TWICE are more famous than BLACKPINK which is true since YG is now promoting them in the west more than in their own country! But they are the 5th most popular group right now, they just have much more international fans.Source: These Are The TOP 30 Most Popular K-Pop Groups In Korea Right NowWinner: BTS. They are more known in Korea than BLACKPINK.Internationally:BTS:The Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) conducted the survey of 341 Koreans and 265 foreigners from March 25 to May 24, asking respondents about South Korea’s general image.More than 48 per cent of the Korean nationals and 65 per cent of the foreigners said BTS were the Koreans they most wanted to meet.In the same survey mentioned before, more than half of the foreigners said if they wanted to meet any Koreans, they wanted it to be BTS.Source: BTS are voted the Koreans most people want to meetBLACKPINK:Needless to say, BLACKPINK is very popular internationally. I won’t hesitate to call them the most famous girl group outside of Korea.Their world tour was the most successful tour of any girl group!Source: BLACKPINK Popularity Ranking 2020: Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, Lisa.But which one of them is more popular internationally?It is….Winner: Both BTS and BLACKPINK. I would have given this one to BLACKPINK since more than half of their fans are non-Korean but BTS also have too many international fans.Overall: I’d say both are equally famous. BTS has more fans than BLACKPINK in Korea while International Blinks bridge that gap.SALESWell, this is gonna be short…BTS: More than 20M sales in 7 years.Source: BTS albums discographyBLACKPINK: We still have to see how well their album does but yeah their “Playing with Fire” sold 7.5M copies. Update: The Album had the most pre-order for a girl-group but I can’t see it’s sales in Korea for some reason. Wikipedia is showing it didn’t chart on Gaon as well?Sources: Blackpink discographyWinner: This one’s a no-brainer. BTS.VOCALSI’m not gonna explain this too much.Raquel Salvador's answer to Who is more vocally strong, BTS or BLACKPINK?Winner: BTS takes this one for me… I mean they have much more diversity and experience than BLACKPINK. YG here can’t even decide who is an actual vocalist. We have Taehyung’s deep voice which compliments Jimin's high pitched voice. We have Jungkook’s amazing high notes and Jin’s wide vocal range. It is far more fun and interesting to listen to BTS than to BLACKPINK. Frankly speaking, I love Rosé’s tone and Jisoo’s husky voice but they don’t even get to use their abilities and Jennie gets the vocal lines. I’ll cover the topic of live singing in ‘Performance’.For recommendations: BTS Best Vocal Parts (In my humble opinion) | ARMY's AminoOk but this one is a masterpiece! It deserves a billion views!RAPPINGVery frankly…RAPPERS: BLACKPINK VS BTSOn this site, everyone is choosing BLACKPINK as better rappers…Personally…Winner: BTS. Although these people say BLACKPINK is better I prefer BTS’s raps. I like BLACKPINK’s raps but I love BTS’s raps. I am saying this because I am NOT AT ALL a fan of rapping. Yes, I don’t like raps. I am no expert so this isn’t a fact but a preference. BTS’s rappers have a better flow and they have rapped in various different ways, unlike BLACKPINK who have similar-sounding songs (not all of course). And once again I’ll talk about live rapping in ‘Performance’.Not a generic fast and upbeat rap song… But still amazing!Now, now… I had a hard time for choosing this cause there aren’t any songs that are particularly focused on raps so why not have all the raps?DANCINGI….Winner: BTS. No, I am not biased in this category. I know girl groups have less difficult choreos but HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE BLACKPINK WHEN YG DOESN’T LET THEM SHOW THEIR DANCING ABILITIES. I mean BTS has very diverse choreos but Lisa’s solo dancing is also amazing! It could have been a tie at least?! Factually BTS has better dancing since they have shown us that they can dance in so many ways right from Go Go to FAKE LOVE and from DNA to Black Swan.Dance practice video to emphasize on dance and not MV… :PI love this dance! Like this is my favourite choreo of BLACKPINK…LYRICS & DIVERSITYLyricsBTS:I don’t even know which lyrics should I use (because there are so many amazing lyrics) but let’s see Spring Day’s lyrics:[Verse 1: RM, J-Hope]Miss youSaying this makes me miss you even moreMiss youEven though I’m looking at your photoTime’s so cruel, I hate usSeeing each other for once is now so hard between us[Verse 2: RM]It’s all winter here, even in AugustMy heart is running on the timeAlone on the SnowpiercerWanna get to the other side of the earth, holding your handWanna put an end to this winterHow much longing should we see snowing downTo have the days of spring, Friend[Verse 3: Jimin, V]Like the tiny dust, tiny dust floating in the airWill I get to you a little fasterIf I was the snow in the air[Pre-Chorus 1: Jungkook, V]Snowflakes fall downAnd get farther away little by littleI miss you (I miss you)I miss you (I miss you)How long do I have to waitAnd how many sleepless nights do I have to spendTo see you (to see you)To meet you (to meet you)[Chorus: Jungkook, Jin, J-Hope]Passing by the edge of the cold winterUntil the days of springUntil the days of flower blossomsPlease stay, please stay there a little longer[Verse 4: Suga, Jimin]Is it you who changed (Is it you who changed)Or is it me (Or is it me)I hate this moment, this time flowing byWe are changed you knowJust like everyone you know[Verse 5: Suga, Jimin]Yes I hate you, you left meBut I never stopped thinking about you, not even a dayHonestly I miss you, but I’ll erase you'Cause it hurts less than to blame you[Verse 6: Jin, Jimin]I try to exhale you in painLike smoke, like white smokeI say that I’ll erase youBut I can’t really let you go yet[Pre-Chorus 1: Jungkook, V]Snowflakes fall downAnd get farther away little by littleI miss you (I miss you)I miss you (I miss you)How long do I have to waitAnd how many sleepless nights do I have to spendTo see you (to see you)To meet you (to meet you)[Bridge: V, Jungkook]You know it allYou’re my best friendThe morning will come againNo darkness, no season is eternal[Pre-Chorus 2: Jimin, Jungkook, V]Maybe it’s cherry blossomsAnd this winter will be overI miss you (I miss you)I miss you (I miss you)Wait a little bit, just a few more nightsI’ll be there to see you (I'll go there to meet you)I’ll come for you (I'll come for you)[Chorus: Jungkook, J-Hope, Jin ]Passing by the edge of the cold winterUntil the days of springUntil the days of flower blossomsPlease stay, please stay there a little longerSource: Genius English Translations – BTS - 봄날 (Spring Day) (English Translation)I am totally not crying…BLACKPINK:I searched up their best lyrics and here they are:[Verse 1: Rosé & Jennie]You leave scars in my heart so easily with harsh wordsWithout even saying sorry, I comfort myself againI'm always anxious if you're gonna leave me todayI just want you to stayIn your expressionless face that's getting more dull, oh-ohI whisper to the mirror, let's slowly let this go, whoa-ohYou take me for granted, but that's youBut still, stay, stay, stay with me[Pre-Chorus: Jisoo]This sad melody resembles you (Ah-ah, ah-ah)It makes me cry, eh-ehYour scent is a sweet felony (Ah-ah, ah-ah)I hate you so much, but I love you[Chorus: Rosé, Jisoo & Jennie]Don't leave me before the dark night traps me inDo you still love me?If you feel the same, don't leave todayDon't ask why it has to be youJust stay with me[Post-Chorus: Lisa & Rosé; BLACKPINK]It goes a little something likeLa-la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-laLa-la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-laI don't expect a lot right nowJust stay with me[Verse 2: Jennie & Lisa]There's nothing more I want nowI can't even tell if my heart is beatingInstead of having forceful conversations with othersI'd rather enjoy the awkward silence with youSo stay, wherever that may beWhen darkness comes sometimes, I'll be your fireIn a world of lies, the only truth is youThis' a letter from me to you[Pre-Chorus: Rosé & Jisoo]This sad melody resembles you (Ah-ah, ah-ah)It makes me cry eh-ehYour scent is a sweet felony (Ah-ah, ah-ah)I hate you so much, but I love you[Chorus: Jisoo, Lisa & Jennie]Don't leave me before the dark night traps me inDo you still love me?If you feel the same, don't leave todayDon't ask why it has to be youJust stay with me[Post-Chorus: Lisa, Jisoo, Rosé & BLACKPINK]It goes a little something likeLa-la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-laLa-la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-laI don't expect a lot right nowJust stay with meIt goes a little something likeLa-la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-laLa-la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-laI don't expect a lot right nowJust stay with meSource: Genius English Translations – BLACKPINK - STAY (English Translation)I understand that in these comparisons people use BLACKPINK’s bad lyrics and I hate that. You should use good lyrics as well as the other group’s good lyrics. BTW if YG doesn’t let Jennie write lyrics then trust me I’m suing them! UPDATE: Damn, the new album has some of the best lyrics for BLACKPINK!Now onto their bad lyrics (yes I’m comparing bad lyrics as well)BTS:Couldn’t find an entire questionable song so here’s a compilation:You look fresh like a salad, so smooth. -Where Did You Come FromBut I’m Neutrogena Deep Clean, just come out as foam. - We Are Bulletproof Pt.1Music, turn it up, I’d pick my nose out of boredom. - If I Ruled The WorldOver here, poop poop poop, hey over there poop poop poop. - A Typical Trainee’s ChristmasCouldn’t do more after reading that 👆Source: BTS × Weird Lyrics✒ | ARMY's AminoBLACKPINK:My slender figure hides twice the volume (Yah, yah, double up)I give it to them straight, I don't care what people think (Woo!)If it's black, then it's pink, we are pretty savageWhen we want, we'll steal outright (Uh)Whatever you do, it's like cutting water with a knife (Uh)Our hands are full with a fat checkIf you're curious, fact checkExpectations higherJust like fish in the waterI'm a little toxicYou've fallen for me, I'm FoxySource: Genius English Translations – BLACKPINK - 뚜두뚜두 (DDU-DU DDU-DU) (English Translation)I just didn’t get that part… No need to include other songs but this line deserves to be here:Look up in the sky it’s a bird, it’s a planeWinner: BTS. For obvious reasons though I must say that BTS’s bad lyrics were actually very bad…DiversityLet my screenshots do the job here:Their bop debut song BOOMBAYAHAmazing song Playing with Fire with like this kinda after-breakup vibeTotal girl crushOne word: BADA*SKind of similar vibe but a little diverseThese all aren’t like a copy of each other but it’s mostly kinda bada*s vibes which is the case. Then we have their pink concepts like Whistle (and I think Ice Cream also gives off those vibes). And their lyrics also are the same repetitive stuff though sometimes it’s fun to listen to it. Update: I would have added The Album but it’s too late to make these collages of the lyrics and stuff.Now onto BTS:(not all the concepts included. Just someones that differ from each other drastically)Beginning with hip-hop No More DreamFirst win with I Need U, an amazing songBeginning of international success with somewhat a dark Blood, Sweat & TearsThe Queen!A cutie pie Go GoShining through the city with a little funk and soul… Retro DynamiteAnd this masterpiece Black Swan with contemporary dancing and dark vibesSo in terms of diversity…Winner: BTS. Even though BLACKPINK haven’t been in the industry as long as BTS their concepts aren’t that different. It’s either black or pink (and then there’s Stay <3)ACHIEVEMENTSSince this answer is already so long I’ll not mention anything but provide screenshots.BTS:List of awards and nominations received by BTS - WikipediaTotal Nominations- 410Total wins- 270Music Show Wins: 90 (awards till BTS’s ON so the number can be higher if Black Swan has won) Update: 108 now as Dynamite had 18 wins so far…Other achievements:They gave a speech in front of the United Nations about empowering young peoplePartnered with UNICEF to campaign against violence towards children and youthA percentage of album sales and income from special Love Yourself merchandise all went towards the campaignThe campaign raised over $1.4 million dollars due to their effortsThey were awarded the Order of Cultural Merit by the South Korean PresidentThey have a $4.9 billion dollar effect on the South Korean economyPresented an award at the Grammys and was the first K-pop group to ever do soWon Top Social Artist 3 years in a row at the BBMAsFirst Korean group to win Top Duo/Group at the BBMAsFirst Korean group to perform at the AMAs in 2017Had the 2nd and 3rd best-selling album of 2018 with Love Yourself: Answer and Love Yourself: Tear respectivelyCurrently has the best-selling album in Korea with their recent release Map of the Soul: PersonaFirst Korean act to reach #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chartCurrently holds record for the most Daesangs at 23Currently holds record for most music show wins for their song Boy with Luv at 21 wins overall.First K-Pop act to attend the Grammys.Notable Charity Work:In 2014 they joined Hope Delivery, a program run by Love Food Bank where they helped poor children and grandmas by delivering food to themThey and their company BigHit donated 100 million won (around $85,000) to the Sewol Disaster 416 Family CouncilHoseok donated to a school scholarship fund to help low-income female studentsJimin donated 100 million Won (around $87,914) to the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education to be used towards education developmentYoongi donated beef to a child welfare institute that includes 36 different orphanagesYoongi donated 100 Million Won to the Korea Pediatric Cancer FoundationSeokjin donated 322kg of pet food to animals in needSpreading awareness and showing support:Since the beginning BTS have stood for the voice of their generation, bringing up issues such as mental health, the education system, corrupt authority figures, etc. in their musicThey are also not afraid to bring up political and societal issues in their music (see: Am I Wrong and Spine Breaker)They donated to families affected by the Sewol Ferry Disaster despite the possibility of being put on a government blacklistUpon receiving backlash for a few sexist and misogynist lyrics, Namjoon took the time to educate himself by meeting with feminist scholars and reading feminist books, which of course lead to the creation of the feminist anthem 21st Century GirlThey have also shown their support for the LGBTQ community on a number of occasions such as recommending songs by openly queer artists, smiling and waving at fans who bring “Gays/Lesbians ♡ BTS/*BTS member*” signs to concerts, and reacting positively to Imagine Dragons’ Grammy speech on conversion therapyThis article also just speaks for itself.BTS talk gay rights, mental health and success in Billboard interviewThe boys, in general, are just incredibly kind and genuine people who have shown their capacity to grow as human beings and sincerely apologize for their past mistakes.Source of the above: Alli Paige's answer to A majority of what I've been hearing about BTS on Quora is negative. Can someone tell me positives on the group/achievements they've made and deserved?BLACKPINK:List of awards and nominations received by Blackpink - WikipediaTotal Nominations: 166Total Awards: 46Music Show Wins: 34 (Update: They will increase now but I don’t have the exact count atm.)Other achievements: Iris Kaya's answer to Are there any other achievements of Blackpink other than their YouTube views?And of course, they performed at Coachella. :)MUSIC VIDEOSWe know whose the winner here…BTS:Number of music videos: I couldn't find the official number but there are around 100 music videos with all the versions and album intro (comeback trailer)Total views: We can’t get the exact number but the Big Hit Labels channel has over 11B views and it includes all TXT MVs, SEVENTEEN MVs, GFriend’s MVs so BTS’s MVs contribute to it a lot and they have at least 5B views.BANGTANTV- 4,867,981,025 viewsSource: Big Hit Labels's YouTube Stats (Summary Profile)BLACKPINK:Number of music videos: 9Source: Blackpink videography - WikipediaTotal views: 11,124,528,372 including dance practices and all other uploads.Source: BLACKPINK's YouTube Stats (Summary Profile)Winner: BLACKPINK of course. Blinks are amazing at streaming and they don’t have much content so it makes streaming easier but they deserve those views.PERFORMANCESI’ll put forth the best performances of both the groups.Live Vocals:BTS:Go onto YouTube for more…BLACKPINK:Winner: BTS. Why? Their live singing is much more stable. I don’t want to use the MR Removed videos because they can be fake and edited to bring the group down.Live Rapping:BTS:These aren’t the latest live raps and they aren’t sorted it’s just a compilation.BLACKPINK:Winner: Up to your liking but I prefer BTS’s rapping style though Jennie is very good.Before seeing their best live performances let’s see how amazing their stage presence is.BTS:BLACKPINK:Winner: BTS. Why? Call me biased but this is the truth. Professional dancers and performers have said that BLACKPINK, while dancing, don’t have good facial expressions and it makes the performance boring, or rather uninteresting to watch. As a person who performs a lot (dancing and singing) and also a person who has to connect to the audience (an orator) their faces are too blank.Now onto their best performances…BTS:Never seen a performance that portrays Korean culture like this… BTS IDOL MMA 2018. In fact their complete performance was amazing but we don’t have time for that right now.Ignore all the screeching noises and focus on the dance break…MIC Drop, MAMA in Japan.They own the stage and no one can tell me otherwise.To sum it all up 👆BLACKPINK:This was actually amazing!I mean if I don’t include Coachella then what’s the point?Sums it up…Personal Opinion Here: I didn’t like their Coachella performance. It was just not ok… They were shouting to hype up the crowd and I’m not a fan of that. I don’t even like when BTS shout a little like in the above MIC Drop performance.Winner: Hands down BTS. Why? Time for an explanation. See how BTS don’t perform the same thing over and over again? They performed IDOL with a cultural twist. They added that amazing dance break in MIC Drop. Their performances have so many variations! They are totally ruling the stage! They use many props like those blow up panthers and tables in Dionysus. Dancing on moving tables ain’t no joke man. Then in the MMA 2018 performance they did some so parts inside those boxy thingys. Can’t say the same for BLACKPINK. We have the same choreo with some backup dancers and not many variations.Now to answer the question, “Do you think BLACKPINK is better than BTS?”No, I don’t think BLACKPINK is better than BTS and I gave enough evidence to prove my answer. No hard feelings towards BLACKPINK or Blinks. I am a big fan of them (especially Stay). I just said what I wanted to. In the end you can’t compare these two because they are way different.Signing off,Lot’s of love and virtual hugs,Aayushi 💎P.S. Stream Dynamite and Ice Cream. Two amazing songs. 💜💕

The person who has done the most valuable work for humanity in this day and age, is no doubt Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the Hare Krishna movement.Srila Prabhupada was the first person to tell people of the West who God is - what He looks like, what He does, and what He wants from us.Even in India, the land where God personally descends and displays His pastimes, only few people knew this, or even thought it relevant for humanity. How many people, for instance, even in India, know that God appeared in Bengal merely 500 years ago?So Srila Prabhupada is the one who delivered this valuable knowledge, the conclusion of the Vedas, to human kind.Srila Prabhupada's appearance and establishing Krishna bhakti world-wide has been predicted in the Vedas:“After the first 5,000 years of Kaliyuga has elapsed, a pure devotee will be born and he will spread the chanting of Krishna’s holy names all over the world.” (Brahma Vaivarta Purana)And it was also foretold by Bhaktivinode Thakur a hundred years ago:Very soon the unparalleled path of hari-nama sankirtana will be propagated all over the world. Oh, for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German, and American people will take up banners, mridangas, and karatalas and raise kirtana through their streets and towns! When will that day come? (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Sajjana Tosani 4.3, 'Nityadharma Suryodoy' 1885)In the Brahma-vaivarta Purana, in a conversation with Ganga Devi, Lord Krishna describes that after 5,000 years of Kali-yuga have passed, a great sage and worshiper of Krishna's holy names, will appear and spread the chanting of Krishna's names (in the form of the Hare Krishna mantra) not only in India but throughout the world.Lord Krishna explains that by the chanting of His holy names the world will become spiritualized and everyone will be hari-bhaktas, engaged in the process of devotion to the Supreme. The purified devotees will visit the holy places and holy rivers of India and will purify them. They will also purify those with whom they come in contact. Thus, Sri Krishna predicted the appearance of a powerful devotee who would spread the chanting of His names worldwide.Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says:In every town and village, the chanting of My name will be heard. (Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Chaitanya-bhagavata, Antya 4.126)Srila Prabhupada, in a lecture,13 october 1972 in LA, states:"Whoever has taken birth in the land of india-this happens due to a huge amount of past pious activities - this is not an ordinary thing.I saw as I traveled all over the world ,though at present Indians have fallen down from their original position,that India's CULTURE IS the highest in the universe."Srila Prabhupada further states:“Krsna Consciousness is not a faith, such as the Hindu or Christian faith, but it is a science. When Krsna says Dehino smi yatha dehe…, the principle“is that the soul is different from the body. On account of the presence of the soul we are getting different bodies. You cannot say it is Hindu. The“Hindu religion may be more advanced, but Krishna Consciousness is a science. Others have only a vague idea. Krishna never said He was preaching as a Hindu or for the Hindus.”“But as a public statement you may say we are part of the Hindu dharma. It is actually Vedic culture, but they have been misinformed. We are actually“Varnasrama dharma. The public doesn't understand Varnasram so sometimes we say "Hindu dharma. "It is a great science but unfortunately the name has come since the Mohammedans called the Indians Hindu because of the Indus River. The word is coming down like that, but we do not find the word Hindu in any scripture.”—Letter to: Pranaba, 1 February, 1977A Summary of Srila Prabhupada’s Miraculous Accomplishments from 1965 to 1977In 1965, at seventy years of age, he ventured outside India for the first time to fulfill the order of his spiritual master. During his voyage at sea, he suffered two severe heart attacks. He reached the shores of America with the equivalent of seven dollars to his name.He founded the International Society for Krsna Consciousness with a small group of disciples, after a year of struggling alone in New York City. This marked the only time in history that a Krsna devotee successfully trained non-Indians in the strict disciplines of Vaisnavism. Amazingly, this was achieved during the blossoming of America’s hedonistic counterculture movement.He sent his followers, chanting the names of God, into the streets of cities and towns everywhere and Hare Krishna became famous in every corner of the earth.He sent his disciples to London, where they recorded the single, “Hare Krishna Mantra”, with George Harrison, in 1969. It became the fastest selling of all the Apple Corporation’s releases, including those of the Beatles. The record reached #3 in Czechoslovakia, #9 in Britain, and made the top ten in Germany, Japan, Australia, South Africa, Yugoslavia, and many other countries.He formally initiated approximately five thousand disciples. These initiates represented a sweeping diversity of nationalities, races, ethnicities, and religious backgrounds.He established 108 Krishna temples on six continents, installed the deity of Krsna in each center and trained his disciples in the process of deity worship. Thirty-two new temples (almost three a month) were opened in a single year, between 1970 and 1971.He inaugurated the Rathayatra Festival of Lord Jaganatha in major cities around the globe, in effect, bringing the temple to the people.He instituted the brahmacarini asram, something previously unheard of in Vedic culture, to give shelter to single women wishing to practice Krsna consciousness.He instructed his disciples in 1967 to start an incense business to provide financial support for the temples. Within four years the business, Spiritual Sky Incense, generated an annual revenue of one million dollars (equivalent to $4,600,000 in 2004).He introduced the “Sunday Love Feast” and other prasadam (sanctified food) distribution programs that provided millions of free meals to the public.He created the world’s first chain of vegetarian restaurants.He spoke daily on the philosophy of Krsna consciousness, delivering thousands of formal lectures. Over 2,200 were recorded and archived.He conducted many hundreds of informal conversations on the science of Krishna consciousness with disciples, guests and friends. Over 1,300 were recorded and archived.He had scores of interviews and philosophical discussions with news reporters, scientists, religious leaders and politicians, as well as meetings with world-renowned dignitaries and celebrities like Indira Gandhi, Allen Ginsberg, Ravi Shankar, Alice Coltrane, John Lennon and George Harrison.He recorded more than twenty albums of devotional music.He published the monthly magazine, Back to Godhead, which he called the backbone of his movement. At the height of its circulation in the mid seventies, over a million copies per issue were sold.He launched the ISKCON Life Membership Program that enrolled tens of thousands of members.He built major temples in Bombay and Vrndavana, and founded a spiritual city at Mayapur. All became international sites of pilgrimage.He established primary schools to provide education in the principles of devotional service.He founded the Bhaktivedanta Institute to advance Krsna consciousness within the scientific community, engaging serious academics in the consideration of the science of self-realization.He formed the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust to unearth and renovate the holy places of Lord Caitanya’s pastimes.He set up farm communities to teach “simple living and high thinking”, emphasizing cow protection and dependence on God and nature.He commissioned his artist disciples to produce hundreds of illustrations of Krsna’s pastimes based on his meticulous instructions and the descriptions in his books.He directed some of his followers to learn the Indian art of “doll making” to present Vedic philosophy through dioramas. This project became the FATE Museums.He counseled his disciples on complex managerial, philosophical and personal issues in more than 6,000 archived letters.He was the subject of more than 30,000 archival photos and more than seventy hours of documentary film footage.He wrote approximately seventy books on the science of Krishna consciousness, sleeping only a few hours per day. Dozens of prominent scholars and educators from leading universities praised his work (see appendix). The Encyclopaedia Britannica proclaimed that his voluminous translations from the original Sanskrit and his lucid commentaries “have astounded literary and academic communities worldwide.” This feat is even more astonishing considering the translations and commentaries were in English, which was a second language to the author.He founded the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) in 1972, to produce his books. By 1976, over 55,000,000 literatures had been published in twenty-five languages and distributed in almost every country, making the BBT the world’s largest publisher of Indian religious and philosophical texts. One printing alone of Bhagavad-gita As It Is required seventy-six train cars to ship the paper needed to print it.He completed the entire Chaitanya-caritamrita manuscript (seventeen volumes) in eighteen months.He ordered and supervised the BBT in publishing seventeen volumes of his books in only two months time, in 1974.He circled the globe fourteen times, visiting twenty-four countries, preaching, inspiring his followers and making countless public appearances before multitudes of people.He skillfully managed his international society simply through letters and personal meetings, virtually without the use of a telephone.Another lesser known fact is that Srila Prabhupada comes in Disciplic Succession which originates from the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna.