Unboxing: BTS Special 8 Photo-Folio: Me, Myself, and Jin — "Sea of Jin Island" Photobook

(Warning: This post is long and photo-heavy.)

My copy of Special 8 Photo-Folio: Me, Myself, and Jin — "Sea of Jin Island" arrived last week, which is the fifth of the BTS member photobook series. This series is called Special 8 Photo-Folio, so there will be a total of 8 photobooks — one for each member and one group edition. Though not confirmed by statement, I think this is BigHit's unofficial birthday project for the BTS members, as they've been releasing them by birthday order starting with Jungkook (September 1), then RM (September 12), then Jimin (October 13). We did get the BTS group book in November, but we have resumed birthday order now with Jin (December 4). 

Special 8 Photo-Folio: Me, Myself, and Jin — "Sea of Jin Island"Front with PET Overlay Cover
Special 8 Photo-Folio: Me, Myself, and Jin — "Sea of Jin Island"Front and Back Covers
Special 8 Photo-Folio: Me, Myself, and Jin — "Sea of Jin Island"Frontispiece

Jin's photobook is called "Sea of Jin Island." The general theme of this photobook is the sea, though as Jin states in his Making Film, there are "two contradictory concepts... a pirate and the Navy." "Sea of Jin Island" has a total of 80 pages. It is a soft cover book with a removable PET overlay. Included with the photobook are several extra items: a sheet of "postage stamps," Jin's item (fish card illustrations), two photocards (one that is included with every book and a second one that is randomized out of 3 options), a mini poster, and a folded poster. The photobook retails for ₩33,000 or $30.65 USD on Weverse Shop Global. 

Special 8 Photo-Folio: Me, Myself, and Jin — "Sea of Jin Island"Photos from "The Navy" Concept
Special 8 Photo-Folio: Me, Myself, and Jin — "Sea of Jin Island"Photos from "The Navy" Concept

The first photoshoot features Jin in a navy uniform and a captain's hat on a boat. The concept here is "The Navy." About this concept, Jin stated, "Pirates and the Navy are total opposites. Pirates are like villains and the Navy are the good guys. That's our general perception."

Special 8 Photo-Folio: Me, Myself, and Jin — "Sea of Jin Island"Photos from "The Pirate" Concept
Special 8 Photo-Folio: Me, Myself, and Jin — "Sea of Jin Island"Photos from "The Pirate" Concept

The second photoshoot features Jin as a pirate at dusk. About this concept, Jin explains, "We combined a Western-style costume with a typical Korean sea as the background to create a very disparate image." 

Special 8 Photo-Folio: Me, Myself, and Jin — "Sea of Jin Island"Photos from "The Boat Worker" Concept
Special 8 Photo-Folio: Me, Myself, and Jin — "Sea of Jin Island"Photos from "The Boat Worker" Concept

The third photoshoot features Jin as a boat worker at sea. About this, Jin said, "The concept where I'm working on the boat is a bonus edition. My outfit isn't like a fisherman's, but more like a boat worker's outfit."

Special 8 Photo-Folio: Me, Myself, and Jin — "Sea of Jin Island"Jin's Item: Fish Illustration Cards
Special 8 Photo-Folio: Me, Myself, and Jin — "Sea of Jin Island"Photocards
Special 8 Photo-Folio: Me, Myself, and Jin — "Sea of Jin Island""Postage Stamp" Sheet
Special 8 Photo-Folio: Me, Myself, and Jin — "Sea of Jin Island"Mini Poster
Special 8 Photo-Folio: Me, Myself, and Jin — "Sea of Jin Island"Folded Poster
Finally, we get some extra items that come with the photobook. Each member has picked their own unique item to include in their photobooks, and Jin's item is a pouch designed to look like a fish net containing four fish illustration cards (two tunas and two sharks). As with all the photobooks, Jin's also includes two photocards (one that comes with every single Jin photo book and one that is randomized out of 3 options), a "postage stamp" sheet (honestly, I'm still not sure if these actually serve another purpose other than showcasing the members' photos in the style of postage stamps), a mini poster that features a photo from one of the member's photoshoots (the back side also features an image of the member, but is a puzzle piece to a bigger group photo), and a folded poster. 

Again, who needs Jack Sparrow or Prince Eric when you have one Kim Seokjin?