Namjoon: Untapped Potential

The first boy to be isolated from the group. His family had to leave town due to his father’s illness. Namjoon is pretty much a victim of his own circumstance. Having to work at an early stage in his life, he’s had to support his family as a teen making food deliveries.

Quite baffling to Namjoon is the amount of trust and reliance he gets from his younger friends. He himself, feels that he has “failed” those who relied on him many times. He believes that he is incapable of supporting them.

I think Namjoon is an example of a person whose life is just having all the odds stacked against him and how this could affect how he thinks about his future. The truth is, Namjoon thinks he has no future because he can’t afford to think about the future, especially for someone who had to think about how his family can survive on the daily basis.

He simply does not have the luxury to think about all of these things because he’s too busy trying to survive. Not only is he responsible for his own survival, he has to think about his whole family too. Quite a lot to put upon a teenager.

I find it very interesting that Namjoon’s Wings solo is called Reflection as it is about wanting to just reflect on one’s self. Something his character does not even have the time to do. Also of note is Namjoon’s farewell message to the boys. The first thing he wrote was “You must live” and then decided to change it to “See you again”. It comes as no surprise that Namjoon’s initial thoughts would be survival. Sure, it could be foreshadowing for their tragic fates, but it’s also indicative of what is always in Namjoon’s mind.

Namjoon’s Shadow

I think Namjoon’s shadow is primarily focused on his need for material things. As seen on BST MV, he’s in the center of luxury, indulging in some form of vice. Others would argue it’s drugs, others say it’s smoking. The latter makes more sense to me as we do see him in the other MVs lighting one. It’s not the vice that is his main thing, it’s the ability to have said vice. He doesn’t have much, so anything in excess would be something he would find attractive. In the Fake Love MV, he is also shown looking at his reflection. One side shows him in his “worker” clothes, while his reflection shows him all dressed up.

It’s in the fact that Namjoon believes that these are the things that are holding him back which is why he cannot get out of his situation and pursue what he wants.

Namjoon’s storyline also emphasizes abandonment. But in his case, he is the one abandoning either his friends or family. He doesn’t know where his younger friends get the idea that he is someone they could rely on. For Jungkook at least, it’s because he sees Namjoon as the one who acts like an adult the most. For Taehyung, it’s in how he wants someone he could run to when he is troubled.

Taehyung is so dependent on Namjoon that it actually sends him into losing control when he overheard Namjoon talking on the phone about not being responsible for someone. Namjoon was actually talking about his younger brother, but Taehyung assumes that the phone call was about him.

Maybe it’s in the way Namjoon believes that in order to be relied on, you have to be able to give something. And it’s understandable, given that that has been role in his family for quite some time and a lot of his problems revolve around material things. It’s fair to assume that he thought Taehyung was expecting something from him. Be it protection, material things or companionship, it’s not something he feels he could give. Why? Because he himself was able to abandon his own family, what’s the assurance that he could do better for someone with no blood relation to him?

Literally, his question is, how can I help others when I can’t even help myself?

Namjoon’s character brings about a lot of questions about how society functions. Why is this teenager not receiving the support that he needs? Why is all these responsibilities thrown at this boy? Given that his family is poor, his mother quit her job and his father is sick, he is a picture of how society has failed to give the marginalized poor their own basic needs.

I wonder if Namjoon’s IRL intellect will manifest in his BU character? Given how obscured that introspective nature of his is, we miss a lot on Namjoon’s character. But I guess, that is kind of the point, Namjoon is an example of wasted potential due to poverty.

Namjoon’s Anima

I know he looks like a stalker in this one, but consider that he's been watching her for weeks. Okay, not a good argument

We don’t get to see Namjoon interact much with his anima. He doesn’t even get to talk to her. But in the highlight reels, she is someone who is very much like Namjoon. Working, studying, taking the same bus route, just another fella trying to make it in the world. I’m not sure if this is indicative of Namjoon not knowing what he wants or if it’s because of the girl’s attitude. The girl seemed to be resilient and is able to act cheerful despite her situation.

I guess, Namjoon wants to adapt the same attitude. Is this something he wants? To be able to deal with his own circumstances with a more positive outlook? Seems like it.

What does this say about Namjoon? To me it says that the material things isn’t really what Namjoon wants. It’s the positive attitude to survival. Often, in his notes, Namjoon has a defeatist tone to it. Helpless even. It’s the thought of going through the daily motions without any future in sight. Perhaps Namjoon realizes that it’s not the material things that matter.

Maybe it's in the way Namjoon wants to connect with her? If this girl is a projection of Namjoon himself, he either want to connect with himself, that much needed self reflection or he is internalizing how others feel in his lack of connection with them. He is suddenly on the other end of the line, so to speak. He doesn't approach her because he feels she's too busy, too caught up in her tasks for the day to have the time to connect with anyone. Isn't that very much like him. So this is him projecting those assumptions on another person.

BTW, one thing I’m not too sure about is Namjoon’s library trips. Was he maybe studying on his own? Studying for college entrance exams? There’s no indication that he was able to graduate high school, so I’m thinking that Namjoon is studying in order to get back to school.

An Answer

It seems that out of all the boys, he’s the one who most likely knows what Seokjin has been doing. It hasn’t been revealed yet if he knows about Seokjin’s ability. But he seems ready to defend Seokjin’s actions very quickly. Even when he discovered Seokjin snitching on Yoongi and Taehyung, his response was that he understood. In what context did he understood Jin? That he knew he was under pressure? Thought that Jin was honestly doing what was best for them? Or that it was something Jin had to do?

Even during Seokjin and Taehyung’s fight, he is quick to side with Seokjin. Does he know more than we think?

Regardless, Namjoon soon adapts a new mentality when it comes to responsibility. He acknowledges that he might have contributed to their group falling apart. At least not actively, more on because of his abrupt absence and continued disconnection. He doesn’t actively seek out the boys to start a reconciliation. He’s not one to speak up about it like how Hoseok does. But he does offer a place for anyone who might be willing to try.

Near the end of The Notes 1, Namjoon makes sure that the lights on the container where he’s been staying in stays on as a signal to any of the boys that they are welcome anytime. Some of them have seen it but haven’t accepted the invite. But at least, they knew they were welcome somewhere.

Namjoon’s Future

Wouldn't it be ironic if Namjoon calls Taehyung for help this time?

Namjoon’s future seems bleak. No actually, his future is nowhere according to Taehyung’s nightmare. Taehyung’s latest nightmare by the end is about Namjoon’s death.

In Taehyung’s dream, he dreams of fire once again and four boys looking unto a fire. As they enter the container, they find Namjoon’s body.

It seems like Namjoon will be caught in the middle of a conflict concerning Seokjin’s dad’s company. Their company plans to develop certain areas of their town including Namjoon’s container.

Actually, that whole last chapter was shrouded in mystery. Seokjin hears the glass break once again as soon as the fireworks started. At that point, he just saw his girlfriend (?) die. Meanwhile, the boys have started to gather in Namjoon’s trailer at the time. Interesting that we know four of them were already there, Hoseok, Yoongi, Jungkook and Jimin. Presumably, Jimin has already checked the inside of Namjoon’s container when he arrived and found no one. Perhaps Namjoon was in another container, and the glass breaking that Seokjin hears is because Namjoon died.

But who would kill him? Someone from the development company? It seems too much to kill someone because of a demolition job. Was Namjoon driven to desperation trying to protect the one place the boys are welcome in? But then, how come Jimin didn’t find him inside? If time rewinds again because of this, what does Seokjin need to do this time in order to stop his death?

Seokjin seems to be slowly being set up on the opposite end of this new conflict. He has started going to his dad’s company to “help”. He is aware of the developmental plans. Does he maybe need to step in to stop their plans? How much power does Seokjin have in this company? Whatever it is, it seems like Namjoon’s life depends on it.