2016

My name is Anna Bothe. I bought my very first Ryan in January 2016, when I was 16 years old and flew to Seoul, the capital of South Korea, with my father for the first time. In comparison to the Ryans I would buy later in life, my first Ryan was of relatively humble size, but big enough to kick off a collection.

My first Ryan has a lot of sentimental value, as it stands for the beginning of my adventure in Korea Studies. Although I had been a fan of K-pop and Korean culture for years, having come to know it through different media, the trip to Seoul fueled my interest and passion to find out more about South Korea.

I bought the Ryans that followed keeping in mind that I would attach sentimental value to them as well at different times in my life. Every Ryan in my room reminds me of different periods in my life, some bad times, but also many good times. But what is perhaps the most important, is that his face is the most adorable thing ever!