The Reappearance Of Jimin's "Nevermind" Tattoo Has BTS Fans Asking One Big Question

OK, BTS ARMY: Don't panic, but Jimin may have a "Nevermind" tattoo. If you feel the urge to educate me on the history of Jimin's fake "Nevermind" tattoo, let me stop you, because what I'm saying is Jimin's tattoo is back and it may be real. Like, really real and here to stay. See, fans noticed that Jimin's "Nevermind" tattoo circa 2014 reappeared sometime in November 2018 during the boys' many end-of-year appearances. But with the boys' MAMAs stage quickly approaching, fans assumed the tattoo was part of a concept for a performance and totally fake. But fast-forward three months, and fans at the boys' concert in Nagoya, Japan, snapped a picture of the tattoo still alive and kicking on Jimin's perfectly-sculpted abs. Now fans are wondering: Is Jimin's "Nevermind" tattoo real?

OK, so how did this madness start? Well, the timeline is a little murky, but for anyone new to the fandom, here's a quick and dirty rundown of the timeline.

December 2014: The "Nevermind" Tattoo Makes Its Debut

Jimin famously rocked a fake "Nevermind" tattoo during the boys' MAMAs stage with Block B on Dec. 3, 2014. The clearly fake tat turned out to be a teaser for the boys' then-forthcoming The Most Beautiful Moment In Life era ("Never Mind" was Suga's intro track on the album, which dropped in 2015). You can relive that glorious moment on loop in GIF form below.

2015-2018: The "Nevermind" Tattoo Disappears

At the time, fans never really thought Jimin's ink was real, but its fake-ness was confirmed when it, well... disappeared. For example, while the boys are seldom seen shirtless, there was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment in the boys' "2015 SUMMER Vacation" video posted on Jul. 2, 2015 that clearly shows Jimin's torso was not adorned with any tats. I spent about an hour trying to snap a screenshot for your convenience, which you can see below. (You're welcome.)

November 6, 2018: The "Nevermind" Tattoo Reappears

But fast-forward a little over three years later, and fans first noticed that the "Nevermind" tattoo had reappeared on Jimin's abs in fan photos snapped by Jimin fan account @LookAtMin1013 of BTS' MGA performance on Nov. 6, 2018. The tattoo could be seen just barely peeking through Jimin's white button-down shirt during their "Idol" performance.

But with the boys' 2018 MAMAs stage quickly approaching, fans assumed that the tattoo must be a fake tattoo planted to tease the concept for their MAMAs performance, which fans theorized would revisit some of the boys' most iconic performances (and how could Jimin's infamous tattoo reveal not be included in such a performance?).

December 2018: The Mystery Continues

But the MAMAs came and went, and no such BTS-through-the-years performance materialized (though their 2018 MAMAs performances were still epic AF).

Even when a nostalgic performance did materialize when the boys performed a medley of their hits through the years at SBS Gayo Daejun on Dec. 25, 2018, Jimin's "Nevermind" tattoo still did not make an appearance as an intentional part of the performance.

Then, KBS Gayo Daechukjae rolled up on Dec. 28, 2018, and all the boys performed their solo songs for fans. Jimin's tat was snapped peeking out from under his shirt during his performance of "Serendipity" in photos taken by fansite @SweetPill_JM.

January 2019: Is The Tattoo Really Real?

Fast-forward to the present day. BTS hit the stage in Nagoya, Japan, on Jan. 12 and Jan. 13 when Jimin's "Nervermind" tattoo was snapped once more, totally intact, in fan photos snapped by fansite @piecesofmind_jm. This time, they were clearer than ever, and Jimin was rocking new pink hair — which was truly a lethal combination.

Three months after the tattoo's initial reappearance, fans are now totally and completely perplexed. Could the tattoo be real? Like really real?

While many fans thought the tattoo was fake in the beginning and was just another temporary tattoo for the sake of a concept, the tattoos longevity has now convinced some fans that it's real. Even the most heavy duty semi-permanent tattoos don't last three months, especially when the person who's rocking the faux tat performs two to three times a week and sweats hardcore every time. Under such conditions, the tattoo would have faded away after a few weeks (nevermind a few months). Even for BigHit, it seems like a bit of a stretch that they'd reapply the tattoo in the same exact place over and over and over for the sake of teasing a new concept.

But there are still some fans that aren't convinced. Many fans noticed that the tattoo looks a little different in different pictures, enforcing the belief that the tat is being reapplied before performances.

But other fans pointed out that different lighting and camera quality could account for the differences (especially considering Jimin is often performing at break-neck speed when photos are being taken). Not to mention, tattoos often change as they heal.

Other fans think the tattoo is fake, citing the fact that tattoos are still somewhat taboo in South Korea. According to Culture Trip, while tattoos aren't illegal in the country, the actual act of getting one often is because tattooing is considered a medical procedure and artists need to be licensed medical practitioners to legally operate as a tattoo artist, which forces many into running "underground" tattoo parlors. While tattoos are becoming less stigmatized with younger generations (due, in large part, to K-Pop stars rocking them proudly), some fans still aren't convinced that Jimin would get a real tattoo considering the social stigma surrounding them.

Some fans even expressed disappointment over the idea of the tattoo being real because it would change their view of Jimin in their eyes (or simply because they don't like how it looks).

But as many fans aptly pointed out, real or not, it's important to remember that Jimin is a grown man who can do whatever he wants to to his own body. And if he wants to get a "Nevermind" tattoo (for whatever reason), it's nobody's place to look too far into why — and he certainly shouldn't be judged for it.

Elite Daily reached out to BTS' team for comment on the speculation surrounding Jimin's tattoo, but did not hear back by the time of publication.

But, as for me, I fall into the "Jimin's tattoo is sexy AF and let Jimin do Jimin, aaight?" camp, which, thankfully, seems to be the majority of BTS fans.

Nevermind energy, huh? I like that. And that nevermind energy definitely looks good on Jimin if you ask me!

So, is the tattoo real? There's no way to know that considering there is the possibility that the tattoo is part of some long-game concept to tease the boys' rumored comeback. We'll probably find out with time if you hold tight patiently. But I, for one, hope to God it is real because I'm a fan of Jimin's new ink. A big ol' fan.