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The views presented in this theory are a part of my own individual interpretation of the video, which means they are subject to error. Lyrics taken from kpopviral. 

The Treachery of Images: I’ve just posted an analysis for Peek-A-Boo, which deals heavily on the inversion of male fantasy. The theme carries over into this video. Though the title is “Bad Boy,” no boys are present. The focus on the video is entirely femininity, which makes sense when taking into consideration that the term “bad boy” is almost always defined in opposition to the “good girl.” Take Grease for example. Sandy is a good girl who has met a bad boy, and the film concludes with her transformation over into a bad girl. In this dichotomous presentation of femininity (meaning girls are only either innocent or corrupted), the bad boy is the means by which the girl is transformed. Good girls are seduced by bad boys, and ruined. 

Here, however, Red Velvet has more agency than that. The lyrics address the bad boy in question as they attempt to seduce him. 

You must be confused, you can’t even imagine

You can try to get away but there’s no room at all

The answer’s decided, you follow me naturally

I choose you, I already chose you

Though they play out both the roles of the “innocent” and the “corrupted” they ultimately seek to destroy the constraints these images place upon them.

As the video opens, the members sit in an empty hot tub while wearing school girl uniforms. The uniforms are typical of representations of young girls, both used to show innocence and eroticism, so we are introduced early to the dichotomy at hand. The image of the hot tub, as well, is suggestive, though empty. The voyeurism of girls (even clothed) in a hot tub is disrupted by the falling snow, and the book. 

The theme of voyeurism is present throughout the video, especially as the camera essentially “intrudes” upon the private setting of Joy and Seulgi in bed, confiding in one another. These voyeuristic and homoerotic elements play into the male fantasy of what happens at sleepovers, acted out by the camera. 

Like with the snow, this image is interrupted by the inclusion of the book.

The book cover reads “Ceci n’est pas de la levre,” mimicking Rene Magritte’s famous painting The Treachery of Images. The text translates to “this is not a pipe,” which appears paradoxical at first. However, it is not a pipe, but the image of one. Though the book’s French is not correct, it should say something along the lines of “these are not lips.” What it stamped on the cover are not lips, but the image of lips. 

The treachery of images is that we forget they are images. We believe them so wholly that we take representation as truth. This theme is central to the understanding of the video. We must remember what we are seeing isn’t trustworthy: it’s just an image. This is so brilliantly put in terms of femininity with lipstick rather than the male-coded pipe. 

What we see throughout the video are not true images of femininity, but constructed images and conceptions. This can extend beyond the theme of femininity I’ve focused on, to just the simple image of being in the public eye. An “idol image” is not a complete and full person, though people often make this mistake. 

Here we come upon one of the main settings of the video. A red bed sits in the middle of a road in an icy place. Four of the members lie in bed. (I think Joy is missing, but there’s no reason I can think of why Joy specifically would be missing, so I’m going to assume it’s not important.)

This scene presents a set of contradictions. The setting is cold, while the bed is a symbol of rest and comfort. There’s a suit case, and a street, which imply movement and temporary stasis, but the bed, again, implies permanence. Cold versus comfort, temporariness versus permanence in this dream-like setting communicate their conflicted emotions concerning the images rendered of them. They are uncomfortable and comfortable at once, tempted both to stay and to leave.

The girls sleeping in the bed, again, tie into a voyeuristic theme. Their unconscious state makes them vulnerable, as if they are unaware of the camera and lack the agency to break free of the watchful gaze of the camera. 

In black and white, suggested to be on a different time line than my previous screenshot, Seulgi walks toward the bed alone with a suit case in hand. This symbolizes her entrance into this isolated and emotional landscape. The suitcase indicates her intention to stay, at least for a while, before the eventual decision to leave. 

Much of the video takes place in this setting. The girls are dressed in stark contrast to their earlier sleep over attire. Where that was the image of innocence and soft femininity, here they display something closer to the “bad girl” image. 

This setting is also decorated with female mannequins. They are approximations of the female form (a representation and not a truth), and they are idealized and commercialized objects meant to sell clothing. These mannequins represent the battle of representational and true female identity–they present an ideal body but are not an actual body. Where women are often made over into idealized, commercialized objects (typical in the k-pop industry especially), we must remember that the image of such women are only images, and that people exist behind them.

Additionally, though I haven’t captured this in the screenshot, the platform on the back is on wheels, again suggestive of impermanence. 

This is the third key setting of the video. With tables and a staircase and a front door, the room appears at first to be a home. However, there is a luggage cart in the corner, revealing the potential domestic setting to be a hotel lobby. The hotel carries on the theme of impermanence, and ties back to the suitcase Seulgi carries. 

Here Yeri displays the sleep over image of soft femininity. 

She presses the typewriter key and the screen ripples. 

She falls into this “bad girl” image–the transformation complete in one moment. She is the innocent made corrupted at the press of a key.

Throughout the video, the girls whisper in each other’s ears. They confide in one another, but we do not hear what is said. The camera (often pictured in this video as a polaroid) captures images and is unconcerned with the things they say. The image of femininity is unconcerned with actual thoughts and speech of women–they can speak and confide in each other in private circles, but they are not meant for public speech. Yeri’s utilization of the typewriter implies an attempt at language, at communication, which amounts to the act of rebellion. The desire to be heard is the “corrupting” force. 

The members sit around a table in the hotel setting. They have the books on plates, and they read the books despite the blank pages. As will be seen a few screenshots later, the only book with text in it is the book with the lips on the cover. The reading of the blank books signifies the expectation to swallow empty ideas because they are presented in a convincing light. The books are physical, real, and from the opposite side you can believe they contain knowledge, though the inside is blank. These books give the image of knowledge without knowledge. 

Only the book in Wendy’s hands is effective. The other books still read “this is not a lip” on the cover, and this statement can be taken literally. True, there are no lips on the cover. The paradox doesn’t work here. Only paired with the image of the lip can the book call attention to the treachery of images and communicate true understanding and knowledge. 

The five of them walk with destructive items in their hands–bats, spray paint, etc. We see these items appear throughout the video. Keep in mind for later 

Wendy, having possessed the book that called attention to the treachery of images, has a camera placed before her. She burns it, destroying the thing capable of capturing images. In the destruction, she alerts the others of the problem with the structured images, as Seulgi and Joy are entranced and fan the flames. 

Despite burning the camera, the images remain, as five polaroids are tucked into the book. One for each member, these polaroids represent the conceptions and images that surround them. Though they have destroyed the camera, there is a certain sentimentality in saving the images–they’ve grown attached to them. They hide them away for safe keeping in the very book that condemns their treachery. They know the danger of the image, but it is not entirely constrictive. It’s familiar, just as the bed is comforting, just as they might be tempted to stay. This is another instance of the struggle of whether to break free from the image or not. 

The girls begin to destroy both the mannequin and the hotel setting. This destruction, especially through vandalistic means such as graffiti, is a “bad girl” action. At first, the destruction appears simply rebellious and typical of the personas they embody. 

Additionally, Wendy knocks the camera out, sending it spinning. This calls attention to the fact that we are watching the video through the lens of a camera. The things we are seeing are mere representational images. 

The mannequins, as well, have been knocked over, and all they represent as been displaced. 

Irene covers Yeri’s ears in the approximation of hear no evil. The eldest protects the youngest. This reflects the fear of influencing young girls, a fear that reveals the belief in their inherent corruptibility. 

Fun fact: they used to think women were so impressionable that if they looked at something bad while pregnant, it could lead to a deformity in the child.

The assumption of being so easily influenced supposes they lack the agency to interpret the information they hear correctly. 

Seulgi stands in the black and white bed setting, aiming gun at seemingly no one. 

As Wendy burned the camera, she now holds a lighter. 

Seulgi squirts strawberry syrup onto a white cake and the stuff drips over the sides. On first glance, it looks like blood, which is a purposeful mislead. It’s hard to catch the edge fo the bottle in Seulgi’s hand. We are supposed to think it’s blood when it is nothing more than syrup. 

Unlike in Peek-A-Boo where we see violence practiced, Yeri shooting the crossbow and cutting the boy’s cheek, Irene slicing Seulgi’s cheek, all of the violence in this video is sublimated. Seulgi points a gun but it’s at no one and she never pulls the trigger. We see the shocking image of blood and it’s revealed to be nothing more than syrup. Irene poses with bolt cutters, but we never see them used. We see Irene and Yeri posing with spray cans, but the destruction is in the background already performed. Later, when the room burns, we only catch a glimpse at the flames. The destruction and violence are shown in glimpses and never in full–subverted. 

This plays into the treachery of images, how little we see and do not see, and how much we can assume with just the glimpse of a thing. 

Seulgi stands on the table, blowing fake money. The fake money is the illusion of luxury and not the thing itself. Though she dispenses it, none of the girls reach for it. Later, they stand under it in marvel, as it were falling snow, but they do not collect it. They understand it is worthless. 

Wendy sleeps with her head down. Behind her, a member passes by while a shadow hand reaches out. A second later, Wendy’s eyes open. This connects to the sublimated violence, being unaware and stalked. It also calls attention to the theme of sleeping and waking-what happens while you sleep and what is necessary to wake to awareness. 

Earlier, Seulgi had the gun pointed at no one. I think it’s necessary to point out that Seulgi very clearly has the gun pointed at the viewer, at the camera. She has aimed her gun toward the constructed image. 

Where they were asleep previously, the girls sit up in bed and they seem aware of the snow for the first time. Their agency is expanding. 

Here, more voyeuristic and posed images of homoeroticism play out. Irene and Joy are frozen in a near kiss. They coyly whisper in one another’s ears. This is not a natural closeness. Yeri and Seulgi look knowingly into the camera, calling attention to the fact that this is for the benefit of the camera. 

Seulgi picks up the suitcase and leaves. 

The bed in this setting, an object of permanence, is replaced by a car. It’s an object of agency, giving them the ability to come and go as they please. 

Wendy tosses her lighter, and the place goes up in flames. The setting indicative of their bad girl image is destroyed. 

They demonstrate the agency to come and go, to preserve and to destroy.

The views presented in this analysis are a part of my own individual interpretation of the video, which means they are subject to error. This post is based off of the MV from the SMTOWN Youtube channel. The video is very quirky and I’ve been kind of disconnected from the fandom lately, so if the members mention anything about the meaning of the video, please go again and message me. 

Fruit: So, Red Velvet has come back with a rather…unique concept. Each girl has been assigned a different fruit based on their color: Irene is watermelon, Yeri is grape, Seulgi is pineapple, Joy is kiwi, and Wendy is orange (why couldn’t they have just made Wendy blueberry?). The song is called Red Flavor, so it makes sense to assign them each a fruit that would give them a specific flavor. But that doesn’t explain why each member is interviewing a fruit version of themselves…my theory is that the video is a coming of age story. The most important thing about fruit is that it has to be ripe for it to reach its best flavor point. As the girls age and mature, they “ripen” and reach an age where they can enjoy the sweetest part of life. 

The video includes scenes where the members are interviewing their respective fruits. It appears like a newscast, with ticker tape, and a different member translating in sign language. 

The ticker tape reads: I wasn’t that sweet when I was young. As I grew, I became full and ripe. 

Later, the video switches things around, having the kiwi interview Joy instead. 

Or a watermelon interviewing a watermelon.

And then finally reveals multiple versions of Seulgi interviewing herself, and even running the production. As they interview the fruit, they are really interviewing themselves. The surreality of fruit interviews and multiple Seulgis can be attributed to an almost subconscious state. Rather than literally interviewing fruit, each member is figuratively reflecting on their past selves, reflecting on their own stories, their youth, and their current lives. 

Keep in mind the subject matter of the ticker tape interviews. 

I wasn’t that sweet when I was young. As I grew, I became full and ripe.

Back when I was a child, I wasn’t tough like this, I was very weak. 

That I have to say goodbye to my friends.

I used to dream of becoming jam when I grew up. 

During my childhood, I was very mischievous.

(I wanted to be) Ice cream!

Sometimes I’m not even sure who I am.

As an only child, I always used to play alone. 

I haven’t included everything, but the things included in the interview show a reflection on childhood emotions and aspirations, and a comparison to current life. As children they faced hardships, like having to part with friends. They experienced weakness and loneliness. They dreamed of becoming things like jam and ice cream in accordance to the fruit theme, showing somewhat unrealistic aspirations for the future. As they grew and matured, they could become strong and “full and ripe,” but they might still experience issues of identity, as with Yeri’s interview line: Sometimes I’m not even sure who I am. This reflects the transition from childhood to young adulthood.  

We see a childhood photo of one of the members. I have no idea who it is or if it’s even an actual childhood photo, but it’s shown during Irene’s clip so for the purpose of this post I’m going to say it’s Irene’s childhood photo. The childhood photo explicitly introduces the comparison of youth. 

A few seconds after the shot of baby Irene, we see a little sprout being watered. 

And then immediately after we get a shot of a child being rained upon. The juxtaposition of the childhood photo, the growing plant, and the child all show the connection between growing fruit and growing children. 

A couple seconds later we get a shot of a giant orange tree, in contrast to the small sprout. Again, there’s contrast between youth and maturation. 

Then we see Irene recreating a childhood photo. 

And Seulgi dressed as a school girl being reprimanded for her hairstyle. The ticker tape reads: I always got reprimanded in school for having inappropriate hair styles. 

In reflecting upon their childhood, they imagine their present selves in that childhood context. Even though they act as they did when they were children, we know there’s something off with someone Seulgi’s age being reprimanded like a school child. In reliving their childhood memories, it only serves to show how much they’ve really grown and matured. We know that Seulgi won’t be chastised anymore for her hair, just like we know that Irene doesn’t wear her hair in watermelon pigtails and that Yeri doesn’t want to be jam anymore. 

The coloring book pages and 100% grade also reflect childhood. 

We see Wendy dressed in a cap and gown while playing on a skateboard. It’s a mix of childlike playfulness with young adult themes like graduation. This reflects the meeting of a childlike attitude with their current state of maturity in young adulthood as they move from one phase of life to another. 

Throughout the video, the fruit is being picked, put into baskets, and having stickers put onto them. The fruit is being removed from their place of growth to be shipped out. The fruit is ripe and ready for consumption. 

mylifeiskpoptrash first giveaway

Hello my beautiful followers ♥

Today my blog is  6 months old yay and recently I reached more followers than I deserve ( really why there is even a 1k following me? why is even one person following me?, like wow) And first I wanted to do another Follow forever but you guys deserve better!!! So finally is happening I’m gonna do my first giveaway YAY!!!!!!

Prize:

The prize is gonna be the last album of one of my  favorite groups!! and you can choose one of the following: IT IS ONLY ONE OR TWO ALBUMS I AM NOT GONNA GIVE ALL THOSE (I wish I can give you all but sadly I do not have the money to do that) (Some albums can change, for example if Astro, NCT, Block B or Seventeen release a new album)

***Prizes Updated!!!!!! (I wanted to make a more fair giveaway so I updated almost all the prizes and I added two more!!!) (This is not the last update I will do, trust me LOL)

Exo LOTTO REPACKAGED ALBUM (VER. CHINESE AND KOREAN) 2 CDs + 2 Different Posters + 2 photobooks

*  EXO-CBX MINI ALBUM - HEY MAMA! ( CHEN VER. BAEKHYUN VER AND XIUMIN VER) 3 Differnet CDs + 2 Different POSTERS

*  LAY 1ST MINI ALBUM - LOSE CONTROL 1 CD + POSTER

*Astro SPRING UP 1ST MINI ALBUM + SUMMER VIBES 2ND MINI ALBUM 2 CD + 2 postcard + 4 random photocards + 1 Random Character card +  2 photobooks

* Astro  AUTUMN STORY  3RD MINI ALBUM (VER. A AND VER. B)  2 CD + 2 postcard + 2 posters

* VIXX KRATOS 3RD MINI ALBUM  1 CD + 1 Booklet 68p (24p Random Photobook) + 1 Hologram Film + 1 random photocard + 1 Random Poster

*VIXX KRATOS 3RD MINI ALBUM AUTOGRAPHED  1  CD + Booklet 68p (24p Random Photobook) + Hologram Film + 1 random photocard

*VIXX CONCEPTION KER SPECIAL PACKAGE 1 CD + 1 DVD + 92p Commentary Book + 92p Photobook + 1 Random Poster + Bookmark

Got7 FLIGHT LOG: TURBULENCE  2ND ALBUM  1CD + Photobook + 1 random Photocard + 1 Deco Sticker + Departure Card + 1 poster (you can choose if you want the random ver. or any member ver.)

*Got7 FLIGHT LOG: TURBULENCE  2ND ALBUM AUTOGRAPHED CD Autographed CD by one random Member *Monsta X THE CLAN 2.5 PART.2 GUILTY 4TH MINI ALBUM (VER. GUILTY AND VER. INNOCENT) 2 CDs + 2 Random Photocards  + 2 Special Cards + 2 Posters

Block B BLOOMING PERIOD 5TH MINI ALBUM  2 CDs + 2 Photobooks + 2 random photocards + 2 Different Poster.

* Block B  BLOOMING PERIOD PRODUCTION NOTE  2 DVDs + 68p Photobook.

*Block B BASTARZ 2ND MINI ALBUM - WELCOME 2 BASTARZ 1  CD + photobook (80p) + 1 random photocard 

*Block B BASTARZ 2ND MINI ALBUM - WELCOME 2 BASTARZ AUTOGRAPHED CD  1  CD autographed by all members + photobook (80p) + 1 random photocard  SEVENTEEN LOVE & LETTER 1ST REPACKAGE ALBUM  1 CD with 152page Photobook + 3 Photocards (Random) + 2 Stickers+ 1 Poster.

* SEVENTEEN SPECIAL 1ST REPACKAGE ALBUM 1 CD + 2DVD + Poster + 140p Photobook

NCT 127 1ST MINI ALBUM  1 CD  +  Poster

*BTS WINGS 2ND ALBUM  (all four versions) 4 CD + 4 Photobook + 4 Photocard + 1 Poster. 

*BTS - 2017 SEASON’S GREETINGS 1 mini locker box + 1 Desk calendar + 1 Planner + 1 Standing Calendar + 1 Sticker + 1 greeting card + 1 DVD + 1 Random Photocard + 1 Key ring.

SHINee 1of1 5TH ALBUM  1 CD + Booklet (24 P) + Photobook (72 P) + 1 Random Paper Tag + 1 Poster

*SHINee 1and1 5TH REPACKAGE ALBUM 2 CD + 1 Booklet + 1 Photobook + 1 Poster

SHINee 1of1 CASSETTE TAPE LIMITED EDITION 1 Cassette + 1 Poster + 1 Photo (You can choose a member or all the group)

*B.A.P  NOIR 2ND ALBUM 1 CD + 84p Photobook + Mini Poster + Poster + 1 Random Photocard

*TOPPDOGG FIRST STREET 1ST ALBUM + TOPPDOGG DOGG’S OUT MINI ALBUM REPACKAGE  2 CD + 1 random Poster + 108p Photobook + 1 random Photocard 

* KNK REMAIN 2ND MINI ALBUM  1 CD  + 1 Standing Figure (Random) + 1 Photocard +  Kihno Card + Sign Postcard + Credit Card + Photocard Set (Random) + Poster

* MAMAMOO MEMORY 4TH MINI ALBUM +  MAMAMOO MELTING 1ST ALBUM 2 CD  + 1 Random Poster + 2 Random Photocard

* BTOB NEW MEN 9TH MINI ALBUM  1 CD + Poster + 120p Booklet + 1 Random Photocard + 1 Random CD Case

TWICE COASTER 3RD MINI ALBUM (APRICOT VER + NEON MAGENTA VER)  2 CD + 2 Photobooks + 2 supercards + 2 Hologram Photocard + 2 Regular Photocard + 2 Photos (Limited First Batch) + 2 Sticker (Limited First Batch)

*TWICE COASTER 3RD MINI ALBUM RANDOM VERSION AUTOGRAPHED CD   1 CD autographed + 1 Photobook + 1 supercard + 1 Hologram Photocard + 1 Regular Photocard + 1 Photos (Limited First Batch) + 1 Sticker (Limited First Batch)

* PENTAGON PENTAGON 1ST MINI ALBUM + PENTAGON FIVE SENSES 2ND MINI ALBUM 2 CD + 2 Booklet + 1 Poster +1 random ID card, film photo + 1 random disk + 1 Photocard

* PENTAGON PENTAGON 1ST MINI ALBUM   AUTOGRAPHED CD Autographed CD by All members + 1 Booklet + 1 Poster +1 random ID card, film photo + 1 random disk

*SEVENTEEN GOING SEVENTEEN 3RD MINI ALBUM (VER. MAKE IT HAPPEN.+ VER. MAKE THE SEVENTEEN + VER. MAKE A WISH 3 CD + 3 Booklet + 3 Member Photocard (random) + 3 Unit Photocard (Random) + 3 Bookmart (Random) + 2 Poster (Optional) 

* GOT7  GOT7ING DVD  3 Discs + 84p Photobook + 7 Postcards

* EXO SEASON’S GREETINGS 2017 Wall Calendar (28p, 300*420mm), + Desk Calendar (28p, 220*270m),+  Mini Calendar (12p, 58*88mm), + Diary(192p, 130*190mm),+  Photo Standing Card (Random 1ea, 100*220mm)

* NCT SEASON’S GREETINGS 2017 Wall Calendar (28p, 300*420mm), + Desk Calendar (28p, 220*270m),+  Mini Calendar (12p, 58*88mm), + Diary(192p, 130*190mm),+  Photo Standing Card (Random 1ea, 100*220mm)

*SHINEE SEASON’S GREETINGS 2017 Wall Calendar (28p, 300*420mm), + Desk Calendar (28p, 220*270m),+  Mini Calendar (12p, 58*88mm), + Diary(192p, 130*190mm),+  Photo Standing Card (Random 1ea, 100*220mm)

*  EXO - WINTER SPECIAL ALBUM, 2016  2 CD +1  Poster

Rules:

You must be following me! This giveaway is only for my followers as a gift, so if you want to be part of it, please follow me. Also don’t unfollow me after, I will be doing more giveaways and if you unfollow me you are not gonna be able to participate again. 

Reblog as much as you like, but please don’t spam your followers ♥

No giveaway blogs

Only reblogs count 

I will ship worldwide, and I’m gonna pay for the shipping. 

You must agree to provide me your address ♥ in order to send you the prize.

If you’re under 18 please get parental permission to give me your address.

if you don’t answer me in 24 hours I will choose other winner. 

Winner will be chosen using a random generator page ♥ 

Breaking any of these rules will disqualify you from the giveaway.

GIVEAWAY ENDS on January 18th at 7:00 PM CST so you have two months to reblog. 

Good luck and thank you again and I love you.

The views presented in this analysis are a part of my own individual interpretation of the videos, which means they are subject to error. This post is based off of the MV from the SMTOWN Youtube channel. All English lyrics translated by @stanningotps. As well, I think it got kind of long, but please bear with me. It’s only long because I think there are a lot of important things to notice.

Lost Boys: Though this video is in no way a purposeful allusion to Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, I think that keeping the story in mind will aid in understanding the video. Let’s take a look at what we’re presented with: five boys and a girl living in an isolated place. They live without a real home, in grungy settings, and amuse themselves with guns and throwing boxes off balconies. They never leave that building, that parking lot. They never leave this area. They can never leave this place. What did Peter Pan do to the Lost Boys when they grew up? He killed them. This is the same line of reasoning that Taemin follows when Minho attempts to leave this place they’ve constructed for themselves.

The isolated setting is a metaphor for the environment that destructive friendship creates. In this world they live in, they are completely alone. There’s no outside influence. It shows the deep intimacy of their friendship. But it also highlights that this friendship ultimately isolates them from necessary contact with others, namely in rules and moral matters. In friendships like this, so tightly knit, they begin to look only to each other for guidance. It creates a climate where there are no rules or responsibilities. Anything goes. It is this climate that leads to the warped morality that Taemin begins to exhibit and eventually acts upon in killing Minho and the girl. The extremely close knit relationship among them also explains Taemin’s motivations for the murder. It is not simply that he’s jealous and it’s not simply that they’re leaving, it’s that Minho and the girl have irrevocably altered the dynamics of this friendship–the thing that forms their entire world. They changed in a way that they were not supposed to. When they leave, they threaten to shatter their constructed world all together.

I will be making my case for this in the body of the analysis.

Narrative: This video also features some compelling narrative techniques. The plot is not linear. We’re pretty much given he entirety of the video within the first fifteen seconds. We get fire and gasoline dripping from the bottom of the car and a broken window and Minho and that girl together. They give everything away and yet we don’t understand until the moment it happens. The narrative is constructed in such a way to simultaneously conceal and reveal, creating an ambiguity. We see but do not understand. In hindsight we understand, but even so there’s still ambiguity as there are several different interpretations of the video are floating around. This ambiguity and uncertainty tie well into tell me what to do, as they’re asking questions, unsure of themselves and of what the right answer is.

Jonghyun and Onew also act as narrators throughout the video. Neither of them are active participants in the video, only present and watching. They also have the most singing shots, making it appear as if they’re narrating the events they observed around them. As well, the way they sing in these shots is indicative, as they look troubled. Their eyes are knowing. They already know the outcome of the story as they begin to tell it. I’ll be pointing out these instances in the body of the analysis, as well.

Lyrics: I don’t think the lyrics are absolutely necessary in order to understand the MV, but they do provide interesting insights. The interpretation of these lyrics leads to a metaphorical application of the MV’s plot to apply to romantic relationships.

These days I don’t know, I don’t know you [Your] eyes seem to have given up much But I hear the silent shout, tell me what to do

The first line speaks of when a lover (or a friend) has changed in an unexpected way. You don’t know them anyway. You feel a bit betrayed. You can see in their eyes that they’re tired and they’re looking for help, but you don’t know what to do. This parallels the video in that the reason Minho and the girl die is because they changed in a way that Taemin did not want or expect, leading to a deep sense of betrayal. They look for a way out–trying to leave. And Taemin kills him. In a metaphorical interpretation of the video, this would signify that he broke off the relationship before he could be the one hurt.

Is this what time does to lovers without even a dramatic beginning? Even without ending it, it’s already done, tell me what to do

The line I want to pay special attention to is the second one. “Even without ending, it’s already done.” Even though they have not come to the end of the relationship, it lacks the intimacy and the love that it previously had possessed. Though they have not broken up yet, they know the end is inevitably coming. Still in the middle, and yet seeing the end. I think that this connects to the video in that the plot line is not narrative. We see hints of the accident, and Onew and Jonghyun as narrators show that they know the conclusion of the story. Even though they’re in the middle of it, the conclusion is inescapable.

The song is titled, “Tell Me What To Do.” For as long as the song plays, we’re asked this question of what to do and how to process the end we know is coming. We’re in the middle, seeing the end, and still not knowing what to do. The lyrics don’t come to the conclusion of what to do. The relationship is never actually resolved, just this perpetual wondering. I think this application can be carried to the music video. Though we know that Minho and the girl die, we don’t see the aftermath in their friendship. We don’t see them being grieved. There’s no real resolution. We’re still asking what to do at the end. This is why the narrative cannot be linear. Because linear things have ends, and this video offers no real conclusion.

It’s just an eternal state of pain and not understanding.

If only it could be erased, if only it could

This is connected to my previous point. I think it’s very important to clarify that this song and video are not about regret. Regret requires understanding. Regret requires that it be over, and it has not ended yet. You cannot regret the relationship because it has not ended. And they cannot regret what has happened because they are still trying to process it. They’re reliving it, narrating this story. It’s still happening and they keep asking themselves what they’re going to do.

It’s not exactly that the song and video lack things like regret. I just don’t think regret is the right word for this. I think connotatively, regret expresses not just a sadness or a disappointment in something that’s happened, but a deep, innate, consuming desire to go back and change what happened. But if you look at the expressions they wear throughout the video, I don’t think this is communicated. It’s a more simplistic pain. Not “I want to change what happened,” but “erase.” Not to take back the action, but to erase the things that caused them trouble. To erase their pain. I think the difference is in that regret implies a will to act–even if the action is impossible. But here, I think they are more resigned to the pain. More accepting of it. They know it can never be changed. “If only it could…” It’s more more mournful than regret, and less anxious.

Am I the one for you / From when we trapped each other, I, who said you changed so much, had changed the most the one for me / I don’t know but we keep returning to that promise, Time keeps hovering but our time keeps disappearing

These lyrics reflect themes of being trapped in relationships, just as Minho and the girl come to be trapped in the constructs of their friend group. It also speaks of changes. It’s like, what should I do? Do I end the relationship? Should I stay? But if you stay you’re trapped, and if you leave you’re destroyed. Just like Minho.

The video begins with the title and the image of fire. As I previously mentioned, this is a way of revealing the climax of the video. In the very first instant, we’re already semi-aware of the ending, even if we only think it symbolic at this point.

Note the cross. When the teasers first started getting released, I thought the + in SH1+1Nee looked a bit like a cross, but I wasn’t sure if that was intentional or not. Now I know. Throughout the video, there are many crosses–almost always in association with the girl. In one respect, the cross is a funerary thing, being both that Jesus died on the cross and that tombstones are often in the shape of crosses or marked with them. It’s a form of foreshadowing the deaths later in the video, but I also think there’s additional symbolism that I’ll discuss later.

A shot of the inside of the car. The window is broken.  Another hint at future destruction. There’s also a siren in the car, like a warning. If we’re to take the siren as less of a symbol and more of a literal feature, then it would add to the characterization of these youths as being troublemakers. They’re obviously not in law enforcement, which means they have the siren simply for the purpose of screwing around.

They stand in the pattern of a cross–another reference. And Taemin is at its center. The camera zooms in on him, emphasizing the fact that this video revolves around Taemin first and foremost. The story that is told is his.

As well, even at :09, we already have Minho and the girl paired together.

Liquid drips from the bottom of the car. We assume it’s a gas leak. Again, we’re told before it happens. I think instances like this could say something about things that go wrong in relationships. Warning signs pop up all the time. Clear indicators, though it’s hard to see them for what they are until you’re in that moment thinking, we might break up.

This little flash of the leak also is nestled between two Taemin-centric scenes. Throughout the video, these scenes are linked to him.

Taemin has the first few lines in the song. This is one of the only shots we have of him singing. Here, and then two more times it briefly flashes to him singing a line. This is in contrast to the large amount of shots we have of Onew, Jonghyun, and even Key singing. It’s for this reason that Onew and Jonghyun appear to be narrators. But then it calls into question why, if Taemin is the main character, isn’t he narrating his own story? It creates a separation–isolating him, in a way. It hints at later dangerous behavior that he exhibits.

As well, it’s raining outside. Very important in sad-time videos.

They’re all gathered in this room. There’s not any real furniture. Posters are haphazardly placed on the walls. There are tons of mismatch things. It’s just grungy and uninhabitable. And yet, this is the only home we see. This is the environment they have chosen, and in a way, constructed for themselves.

Another prominent feature of this room is the sheer amount of beer bottles and spray paint. Other delinquent things. And Jonghyun is spray-painting a bottle. In another context, this could look like a restless or bored thing to do. But if you watch his expression, I think it’s clear that he’s neither of these things. It’s just a thing that he’s doing, albeit a pointless thing. All they do in this world is pointless. Because the environment they have created for themselves lacks responsibility, pointless things are all that is left. So they spray-paint beer bottles and drive around in circles for hours. They’re not restless, just content to be with one another. Until Minho wants to leave.

We see a lot of shots of Taemin like this. He’s at the edge. It reveals his mental and moral state as it teeters on the edge of danger.

Here is an instance of narrative singing shots. Onew looks into the camera. He looks sad and knowing and yet resigned.

As well, you can see the gun on the bed, which is later revealed in the video. I think there’s significance to this, but I’ll discuss it at the actual moment of the reveal.

We see the girl drawing crosses on the tiles, and eventually between the tiles.

We see a shot of an empty hallway. There are puddles of water and water drips down from the ceiling. The dripping liquid parallels the dripping of the gasoline from the car. This parallel is especially strong as this is the room in which Minho’s lines are performed.

We zoom out and it’s revealed that this room is actually an image on a screen. It hints at the constructed nature of this place. It also reminds us that the music video is a story being told. Although you obviously can’t see it in the screenshot, the water drop is actually moving backwards. Just as the video is this perpetual state of attempting to deal with pain, and it’s perpetually telling this story, the drop moving backwards kind of shows a rewind like on a video tape. You have to rewind back to get to the beginning, to tell the story.

Key squats down to look at his reflection in the mirror. Outside of Taemin and Minho, who are the main characters, Key is the most involved in the video. He serves more than a narrative function, unlike Jonghyun and Onew. He attempts to act as a mediator between Minho and Taemin, but ultimately fails. In a way, he blames himself for Minho’s and the girl’s deaths, because he could not stop the conflict that led to it. Looking to the mirror represents looking inward, and placing the blame on himself.

Taemin is sitting on the roof of the car. The girl is also visible. We also know that in the next instant, Key is in the driver’s seat. This is then a foreshadowing of the ending shot. We get the end in the middle. And we have a flash of red, like foreboding.

You can also see her cross earrings in the bottom right shot.

Even though Minho and the girl die in the car, and Taemin is the one to do it, none of them are as closely related with the car as Key is. He sits in the car here. In most of, if not all of, his singing shots, he’s with the car. This shows how deeply the incident has affected Key. He cared so much. He tried to stop it. He failed. He’s responsible, in his own mind, so he latches onto the car–the symbol of what destroyed their friendship.

This is the first time we see the car on fire.

As I mentioned before, Jonghyun and Onew have the most singing shots. Many of these shots are in a setting like this: with the blue lights. Only Jonghyun, Onew, and on occasion Key, are shown in this setting. Not only does this reflect their role as narrators, but it sets them apart from Taemin and Minho. Taemin and Minho can actually affect what happens in the course of the video. Jonghyun and Onew only watch. Even though Key tries to interfere, he is unable.

And then we see them in the car. The girl is in the backseat between Minho and Taemin. They’re driving around in circles, but there’s a rush. It’s an image of friendship and genuine enjoyment. But even in the midst of it, the love triangle is foreshadowed.

Now the girl is in the right-side seat. You can see a cross on her necklace if you look closely.

And now Onew is in the seat where she was before. I point this out for two reasons. First, and more simply, it means that this game they play where they drive in circles is something they’ve done more than once. Either over time, or they’ve changed positions and went one time after another. Again, this is a pointless activity, but they look perfectly happy. It’s so much fun for them to do nothing. It’s not event destructive behaviors for the sake of being destructive (like the spray paint or tossing the box over the balcony). It’s just meaningless. It’s fun. It’s not restless or anxious. Even though these behaviors can be conceived as destructive, within the context of their social environment, these pronouncements don’t need to be made. Contrast this driving in circles to Minho and the girl as they try to leave. Not driving in circles, but going somewhere. They were going to ruin it. They were going to break from the pattern of meaningless pastimes.

Second, the fact that the girl’s position in the car moves around is important because it shows that she plays no specific role in the group. She’s not just there to be torn between Minho and Taemin. She’s not there for any specific reason other than that she is one of them. She’s not just tacked on. She’s her own agent in the group. She’s not simply “the love interest.” She belongs equally to all of them, as they all belong to each other. This is, at least, probably Taemin’s mindset. He wants her. We know he does. But we don’t see him actively try to pursue her. He can’t. By the rules of the world they formed, she belongs to all of them, and none of them. If he tried to make her his, it would shatter the dynamics of their friendship. He would not let himself have her. And then Minho violated this.

These are the two things Minho did to incur Taemin’s wrath.

The box they throw off the balcony never hits the ground. We don’t get to see it break. We don’t see the resolution of it. This mirrors that the video and the song themselves never really resolve.

I think the shots like this are a really, really compelling narrative technique. This is not them in any one particular instant of the story, but their character as a whole. It’s not Minho before or after his death: it’s both. He is just a symbol of himself. They are all symbols of themselves. I think it’s incredibly striking to see them posed like this, like characters out of a movie poster, in contrast to the actual events of the story. You can see in Onew’s eyes that he knows, and Minho stands like a hero. They’re all aware of their fates yet they exist outside of fate because the storytelling removes them from time, almost. I don’t even know how to effectively communicate what I’m thinking, but I just think this is really striking scene. Hopefully you can kind of grasp what I’m trying to say.

I’ve seen a few people who think the explosion was an accident, or that Taemin didn’t do it. His characterization in these next few scenes make it really hard to argue that. They’re all drinking, but he’s the only one depicted as drunk. In the first screenshot, you can see a rather aggressive lip bite, and he reaches to take the girl’s hand. It happens very quickly, but he jerks her hand around. He seems unaware of her actual preferences. And then there’s a blurry, inverted flash. It happens very quickly, but I find it kind of unsettling. It reveals that even though he makes no explicit move on her, he still thinks of her as his. This is important when you want to understand why he was petty enough to kill them. Because she belonged to him in his warped morality and logic.

She leans her head on his shoulder and he drinks more. She’s close to him. It contributes to his delusion that she’s his, even if she never said she was.

The screen blurs. Taemin looks completely out of it. He’s the only one presented in this light. It doesn’t exactly help characterize him in a positive light.

And finally, we get the reveal that he likes her. It’s a flashback to the car ride. He looks at her longingly and she is unaware. I also find it mildly unsettling that we find out that he likes her in the middle of this drunken haze. We see him jerk her around and we see him incoherently drunk, and then we see that he likes her. Love, something usually understood as a positive thing, is being associated with these negatives. It shows that his love is more possessiveness than love.

And we also know that he liked her first. We see him liking her before she gets together with Minho. It’s almost like it was very important to him that we know that he liked her first. It’s like a plea that injustice was done to them.

Another huge indicator that Taemin’s character has a really warped sense of morality is this infamous meme. They’re laughing and having a good time, then Taemin pulls a gun. And no one seems particularly alarmed by that. Again, here, anything goes. We’ve escalated from throwing boxes over balconies to pulling guns on your friends. Before it was destructive, but now we’re beginning to see threats of bodily harm. And Taemin is the only one that leans toward that.

Just another example of how sad and tired and knowing Onew looks. Also note that this is just before Minho and the girl get together, as if in reaction to that.

And here, we see Taemin with a lighter. The lighter is important as it ties him to the car explosion. Also, there’s a stain on his left knee. It could totally just be that the ground behind him is wet and the stain happened while filming. But it could also be a clue that he kneeled in the gasoline as he rigged the car to explode.

And Taemin has this lighter literally a second before Minho leans in to kiss the girl. The lighter and the explosion and this moment are all connected.

Taemin watches Minho and the girl as they become a couple. Note, that they are not drunk. Contrast this to Taemin’s romantic scene founded in drunkenness.

Taemin looks right in camera.

The girl has a lit match in her mouth. Minho looks at it before looking back into the camera. He has no reaction to it. He sees the match, the danger it presents as it’s only going to get closer and closer to her, and yet his expression remains largely unchanged as he looks into the camera. It’s not as if he’s unaware–there’s definite understanding in his eyes. It’s just that it’s irrelevant. Nothing will change the way the story goes.

The match in her mouth also labels her as the reason for this accident. She gets in between Minho and Taemin. She’s like a fuse to Taemin.

Taemin has the lighter again. He lights it, and drops it. It’s hard to see from the screenshot, but the lighter is still lit when he dropped it. It’s not as if he was letting go of his bitterness or anger, or letting go of anything really. Because when you drop a lit lighter, it’s with full knowledge that something is going to be burned.

After Taemin drops the lighter, Onew looks especially pained. We’re closing in on the climax.

And finally, the gun is revealed. It was there on the bed next to Onew the whole time, but we couldn’t see it. It symbolizes an underlying danger. It was there the whole time and we didn’t really notice. This parallels the underlying danger of the world they’ve created. The whole time, Taemin had this potential for murder. And if they hadn’t tried to leave, they would have kept on being content in that group, totally unaware that Taemin was willing to end them if they ever did something to piss him off.

We return to the beginning. Gas drips from the car. The lighter that Taemin dropped sets it ablaze.

Taemin stands with his arms out like a cross. A bunch of guns are all pointed at him. He looks ready and willing to die. I think this can be interpreted a few ways. He feels guilty, he’s committing suicide, etc. I personally think that this reflects he was willing to die in order to do this. He’s willing to be damned so long as he can exact justice. And he makes the form of the cross, as if to specifically reference her, as if to say, all for you.

I think this screenshot perfectly sums up the fight. The girl cowering behind Minho, and him defending her. Taemin confronting Minho, and Key between them–more conflicted and desperate than any of them.

This is the moment that Minho decides that they need to leave. He sees what their relationship has done to the group, and what their reaction is doing to her. For her sake, he decides they should leave. So he pulls her along, and they get in the car. They’re going to drive away–not in circles. They’re going to break free from the group. They’re going to leave their own private world.

Minho turns the key in the ignition.

And we see her eyes. Really see them up close for the first time in the entire video, just a moment before she dies. She doesn’t look scared.

The lighter hits the ground.

Then the explosion. The lighter does not literally start the fire. Minho turning the key in the ignition does. But the lighter ties Taemin to the accident. It shows that he rigged the car to explode. He knew that she would pick Minho over him. He knew they were going to shatter the isolated intimacy that they had structured around themselves and this place. It’s not even simple jealousy. It’s possessiveness. He didn’t want them to change. He didn’t want them to break his perfect world. He didn’t want them to leave–but if they were going to anyway, it would be on his terms.

The four of them rush toward the burning car. I’ve seen multiple people use this scene as evidence that Taemin either didn’t kill them or didn’t mean to. I have a few problems with this. First, the car just exploded. There was no rescuing them. Taemin running closer doesn’t need to be an effort to rescue, but just coming closer to the accident. Second, he could be checking to make sure they’re dead. Third, he could be remorseful and desiring to save them. My point is, there are many explanations for this and it doesn’t necessarily follow that because he ran toward them that he wasn’t the cause.

As well, they aren’t wearing the clothes from the fight. This fire happened right after the fight, and they aren’t wearing the same clothes. I think this indicates that they are not literally running toward the burning car, but in retelling the story they’re attempting to come close to it, to understand the story better.

Key begins to get out of the car.

Then we cut to this shot of Taemin, again spreading his arms in the shape of a cross. Again, she has a deep association with the cross: she drew it on walls, and she had cross earrings, and necklaces. Jesus died for the sins of the world, so that in him, everyone could be justified. This could reveal that in her death, like Jesus’ death, Taemin realized his own need for salvation. He realized his own warped morality. Or, we can interpret it to mean that because she died, he could be saved. In his warped mind, her death was necessary for him to feel peace in regards to this story. So, really, I think which you want to believe is based off of how messed up you think Taemin is.

Key fully gets out of the car and leans against the door. Taemin is on the roof, and the girl is beside him. This is the full image of the ones we saw earlier. The video was leading toward this point. This is a very similar scene to the one where the girl had the match in her mouth in that this is a representation of them as a whole, both before and after the events. This is them as symbols of themselves. Everyone is present, and the car is whole again. But we remember what happened. And they do, too. This is just one cycle in the narrative. Just one telling of the story they tell over and over. And why would they do that?

That smile comes to me brighter, the cold hands warmer, The lonely souls meet / Not lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely I’ll peer into you again, I’ll treasure your breath, Even if other than us, everything changes

The views presented in this analysis are a part of my own individual interpretation of the videos, which means they are subject to error. This post is based off of the subbed versions of the videos from Bangtanie Subs. (Many thanks to the translator!) As well–as many of you know–much of this concept is based off of the book Demian by Hermann Hesse. Because I haven’t read the book, I will be referring to information from both Wikipedia and SparkNotes. As another bit of a disclaimer…I largely haven’t looked into other people’s theories about these videos, as I didn’t want my opinion to be influenced. So I’m not sure how much this is gonna match up with the dominant theories out there right now. Forgive me if this is repetitive, bear with me if it’s off the wall. All English lyrics are taken from kpoplyrics.net and colorcodedlyrics.com. This post will be done in 8 parts: intro, Begin, Lie, Stigma, First Love, Reflection, Mama, Awake. Please read them in order. It’s critical to your understanding. 

This post will be followed up by a post about the Blood Sweat and Tears MV. Once that’s published, I will provide the link right about here. As well, I’ve previously done posts for the Prologue/I NEED U and Run. Check those out if you’re interested.

Demian: Okay, so I’ll start off with a little background on Demian. (If you’re interested in reading it, you can easily find a PDF online. Again, I didn’t actually read it so I’m sorry if I get anything wrong) Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair’s Youth was originally published in German in 1919. The story chronicles several years in Sinclair’s life, as he comes to maturity and explores concepts of light, darkness, and illusion, often under the influence of classmate Max Demian. As a coming of age story, this fits perfectly in BTS’s wheelhouse. As always, the emphasis on youth and growing up is a major theme for them.

The book contains themes of realization and spiritual knowledge as Sinclair eventually comes to a state of “enlightenment” as his mind is freed from conventional notions of morality. This is done largely through Demian’s influence. He introduces Sinclair to the idea that what is evil is not wholly bad, and that good and evil should be equally acknowledged. In this way, the story is about embracing duality, “the existence of opposing forces and the idea that both are necessary.” The main symbol of duality throughout the novel is the Gnosttic deity Abraxas, who Sinclair takes a great interest in and comes to study. Abraxas is described as a deity that “contains both divine and satanic elements,” “idealizing the interdependence of all that is good and evil in the world.” Abraxas is associated with the bird breaking free from an egg. The bird is specifically a sparrow hawk, and it represents the desire for freedom.

Conventionally, Demian’s influence on Sinclair would probably have been considered a negative one. (I personally find this to be true, though I don’t think this is necessarily true in the context of the actual novel.) His name, as well, has obvious associations with demons. Within the novel, Demian is often portrayed as an outcast with an “uncanny ability to affect how other people act.” Under Demian’s influence, Sinclair begins to “break free” from the world of illusion and move toward this balance between light and darkness in rebelling against societal views of morality and religion. For instance, Sinclair says, “At times I didn’t want the Prodigal son to repent.” As well,“He is beginning to privilege his desires above the holy.” In the context of the novel, I believe this transition is largely supposed to be a positive thing.

“A large part of Sinclair’s growing up is his coming to accept that it is all right to enjoy things from the realm of darkness, things one might refer to as evil. Ultimately, he is even brought to be fascinated by the notion of worshipping such “evil” things, in his study of Abraxas, the god who combines good and evil. Ultimately, Sinclair comes to reject the notion that he should worry about what is good and what evil in deciding how to act.”

However, there are too many instances of tragedy and nightmarish sequences for this idea to fully fit into this concept. So while the book may be sending an “accept good and evil” and “enlightenment”  vibe, I don’t really think these videos or the MV are saying that. Rather than a guide, I think it would be safe to characterize Demian as a tempter, and Sinclair as the tempted. The result of temptation would here be pain and isolation.

Though Sinclair originally viewed his parents as a source of comfort, he eventually began to rebel against them, instead finding guidance from Demian’s mother Eva. Eva comes to represent Sinclair’s ideal woman, as well as a mother figure. She has both feminine and masculine features, again citing the interdependence of opposites and the balance between them. Her name, Eva, is most likely a reference to Eve, who was biblically the first woman. This again reinforces her as a sort of ideal. “Eva is a symbol of perfection and completion; she encompasses everything—she is masculine, yet feminine, a mother figure, yet the object of intense romantic love.” In this way, Eva is also probably intended as a type of Mary. Representations of Mary in art usually involve both masculine and feminine traits (especially in Michelangelo’s representations), and Eva’s role as a mother figure reinforce this notion. Then, Demian, her son, would be presented as a type of Christ. This allusion is fitting, especially as Demian and Eva both guide Sinclair toward “enlightenment.” Eva, just like Demian, is a central figure in Sinclair’s development. Throughout all of the videos, there are many references to both of them.

Two Worlds and the Bridge Between Them: As I summarized above, the novel contains a great focus on opposing worlds. I think this idea is important in understanding this concept and how it ties into the previous ones.

I’m of the opinion that I NEED U is life and Run is the afterlife. But none of the WINGS videos or the MV really fit into either of these categories. It’s much too conceptual to fit into “life,” and it doesn’t match quite right with afterlife, either. And yet, there are many connections, especially in these teaser videos, with both I NEED U and Run. They are obviously intended to be understood in the context of one another. I think that it makes the most sense to say that I NEED U and Run were one world, and Blood Sweat and Tears is the other world. I don’t think it’s like, oh they died and were in the afterlife but then they went to this strange world…It’s more like their deaths and afterlife was one storyline, one universe, and this is another parallel one. A world reflecting the other but not expressly connected to it, not exactly the same. And WINGS contains references to both these worlds and serves as a bridge between them. These videos are meant to aid us in the transitioning between concepts.

WINGS should also function to inform us in our understanding of Blood Sweat and Tears. This concept is about good, evil, and temptation. As I stated above, I don’t think that this is about coming to balance and deeper knowledge as it is portrayed within the novel. I will explain my reasoning for this more in my Blood Sweat and Tears post. I think it’s about attempting to attain what cannot be attained, whether enlightenment or a balance between good and evil, and falling as a result. Having a horrific consequence to temptation. And I think these teasers provide insight for what caused each member to “fall” that should be carried over to our understanding of Blood Sweat and Tears.

My argument is this: each title is the thing that damns them. Jungkook’s is Begin. The lyrics to the song talk about how his hyungs make him begin. Within the context of this storyline, it is this very dependence on others that makes him impressionable and vulnerable to negative influence. This is why Jungkook falls. Jimin falls because of his lies. V falls because of the stigma he has toward male authority, resulting ultimately in his own destructive tendencies (i.e. stabbing that guy in I NEED U). J-Hope falls because of his neediness and desire for attention, especially from female figures in his life. Rap Monster falls because of his own self perception. Jin because of his awareness and desire for knowledge. I’m less sure about Suga’s because of the ambiguity of the lyrics to First Love. Anyway, my opinion at the moment is that he falls because he abandoned someone/something important to him (i.e. his first love). I will be making my case for each of these.

Two by two:  Just as in the other videos, pairs play a huge role. In the previous concept, the pairs were: Jimin and J-Hope, V and Rap Monster, Suga and Jungkook, and Jin alone. In this concept, the pairs have changed. Now it is Jimin and Suga, Rap Monster and Jungkook, J-Hope and V, and Jin still alone (The photobooks, as well, are organized like this). These WINGS videos combine both sets of pairs, as it leads away from one pair and introduces another. In the previous videos, these pairings showed them caring for one another. Even though there was conflict (i.e. Suga and Jungkook fighting in Run), there was a more ultimate sense of camaraderie and friendship. This dynamic begins to shift here, as these pairs begin to instead illustrate the relationship between the tempter and the tempted. One acts as Sinclair, the other as Demian. As well, the pairings of tempted and tempters illustrate another type of codependence of evil and good.

Danger: As I’m sure many of you have noticed, there are multiple references to the Danger MV in these videos. V cutting his bangs, Rap Monster is a tattoo artist. Definite references. However, I will be making no attempts to tie these references into my theory. Why? Because I think BigHit is just grasping at strings. I highly doubt they planned this concept two years in advance. I’m just highly skeptical. I think it makes more sense that they saw the opportunity to make the reference and they took it. I don’t think it’s meant to mean anything in particular. Besides, the tone of Danger is drastically different from any of these more tragic concepts. So, I won’t be making any leaps like Oh my gosh, actually, ALL of the videos are connected because I think it’s just not realistic to say that about any group. And I don’t think that’s the case here.

The links to all of the posts will be here. Again, please read them in order! 

The views presented in this analysis are a part of my own individual interpretation of the video, which means they are subject to error. This post is based off of the video from the official SMTown Youtube channel.

When I first watched the video this morning, I wasn’t planning on doing an analysis post–because it’s a dance video in a box set. Nevertheless, I think it’s worth it to explore the concept of “one of one.” I’ll just try to make it relatively brief.

1of1 means one: As a whole, I find the easiest explanation for why there are so many girls in the video is that it makes this particular definition of “1of1” more impactful. The “one” is one person, but they are not the only person in the world. 1of1 means they are not the only one. It means there are others. It means there are countless others. But even so, that one person is not one out of 10, or 20, or 100, or 1,000,000. Only the fact that they are them is taken into consideration. It’s not “I pick you out of a room,” it’s “I pick you out of a room because for me there are no other options. You are the only one I see.“ There are 25 other girls, but there is only one you. That’s all they care about. That’s all that matters. 

1of1 means many: Generally, I think that’s the message the video is trying to get across. However, there’s also another interpretation of the video I find compelling. In that wonderfully dorky promo video we got a few days ago, SHINee came to the conclusion that 1of1 equaled SHINee World. In some ways, it’s possible that this video is portraying the relationship between SHINee and Shawols. In this interpretation, the general meaning of “1of1” remains–the one you choose no matter how many options are given–though with a different explanation for why there are so many girls. There are enough girls to the point where their sheer number becomes a unifying factor. It’s like how a crowd is many, but is still just ‘a’ crowd. All of the girls are “one,” and this “one” they represent is another crowd–Shawols. More than that, SHINee is our “1of1.”

The video begins with clips of a few different girls. Though we see specific parts of them, we don’t see their faces as a whole. We don’t see enough to properly identify them. We have elements of many girls but not a clear image of a girl as a whole. The non-specificity helps to support the theory that “only one” refers not to a literal “one” in this case, but to many individuals who can be categorized as one.

There are several instances of dance solos within this video. Not that there aren’t videos with solo shots of the members, but I can’t really think of another instance like this, where they’re dancing without the others and it’s not just a trick of a camera angle. That being said, who do you look at in these instances? You look at Taemin, and Key, and Onew, and Minho. It’s almost preposterous to ask who you would look at in these shots, because obviously you’d look at the members. But these aren’t solo dances. There are backup dancers there, but we hardly pay attention to them, if at all. In each of these instances, there are five people on screen dancing (except Onew who’s sitting), but we only notice one. They stand out against the professional dancers, against the pretty models. In this way, the video fosters a sort of reciprocation of the “1of1″ concept between the viewer and SHINee. 

The metaphor can extend beyond the video, to the extent that SHINee is the group we notice amongst others. They’re the group we pay attention to, the group we choose. (This concept gets a little tangled for those who are multifandom or don’t have SHINee as their bias group). 

All of the girls are also color-coded in accordance with a specific member. Taemin’s girls are a mustard yellow, like his suit. Jonghyun’s wear blue and red, like his suit and sweater. Key’s girls wear blue, like his sweater. Onew’s girls wear a bright red, and Minho’s a deeper maroon. Within the Shawol as 1of1 theory, these groups could symbolize each member’s individual fanclub. Shawols choose SHINee and SHINee chooses Shawols, but this can speak of a more specific dynamic within the fanclubs. Because these girls match to a member, and we match to our bias as well. The reason we choose them is because they suit our preferences in one way or another. 

These shots are also an extension of the ways in which the viewer reciprocates “1of1″ with SHINee. Even amongst these gorgeous girls, we still tend to look at SHINee, don’t we? These specific shots even offset SHINee in a way to ensure that our attention goes to them. Onew is in the center of a circle. The girls lean back to reveal Jonghyun standing behind them. Taemin is on another step entirely.  

This image further supports the relationship between fans and SHINee. Jonghyun’s girls mirror him, with their legs crossed, sitting relatively still. Onew’s girls sit with their legs crossed as well, but they dance along with him. They match the members. But they also match each other. This uniformity can reflect the unity between fans. 

From the outside, fandoms can appear messy. We all mix together. It looks chaotic. Some fans are close. Some are on the fringes. 

But when you look from above, there’s a definite pattern. There’s a harmony. We as fans all work in relation to each other and to SHINee. There’s unity here. 

We pick SHINee. They pick us. 

The views presented in this analysis are a part of my own individual interpretation of the video, which means they are subject to error. This post is based off of the video from the official SMTown Youtube channel.

Tom & Jerry: In the V broadcast, Irene said the video was about doing dangerous things for the one you love. All of Red Velvet is in love with the same man and they try to take each other out because of it. They “kill” each other in extreme and unconventional ways, juxtaposed with scenes from a Tom & Jerry-like cartoon. Cartoons like Tom & Jerry have long been criticized for their violent nature, but ultimately these concerns are brushed off because it’s just a cartoon. It’s a child’s thing, not meant to be harmful. And no one ever seems to actually get hurt. There’s no permanent damage. They recover almost immediately. I find there’s a similar attitude concerning love and “girl world.” Doing anything for love is often perceived as a good thing, a sign of commitment. This mindset has led to intense competition between Red Velvet members as they try to eliminate the girls who stand between them and the boy they love. It’s thought of as typical for girls to compete against one another in social circles. It’s expected for girls to rip each other’s reputations apart, to backstab. Because they’re young, it’s dismissed. It’s something they’ll grow out of. There’s no permanent damage. Indeed, although none of the members are ever seen to be properly injured from their deadly games (metaphors for the gossip and backstabbing stereotypically found in female social circles), participating in them has its own consequence. 

40-Love: My sister plays tennis. I knew “love” was a term in tennis, so I asked her what it meant. Love means zero. When the game begins, everyone starts with zero points. They start out with love. The more points you score, the farther away you get from love. The more the members sabotage one another, the better they get at “the game of love,” the more harm they do others, they get farther away from love. By participating in such a vicious cycle, you lose sight of the love you’re fighting for.  

I saw a few people theorizing about who survived, about who won, but I don’t think it’s about that at all. It’s not about who lasted the longest, but who had love last in their hearts. 

The video begins with Wendy pulling the string on Seulgi’s sweater. As the sweat unravels, Wendy lights the end of it on fire. It’s reminiscent of those cartoons when they’d try to blow someone up, an example from Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. 

We don’t see the fire hit Seulgi, only that she notices her sweater is unraveled. Still, we assume the fire got her. 

The score stands, Wendy: 1

At several points in the video, the frame is circular, reminiscent of Looney Tunes. 

At the beginning of the video, we can see them in a school gym. They wear P.E. uniforms. They’re school girls. At this point (sorry for the blurry screenshot), they all turn to whisper in the others’ ear, like a game of Telephone. As well, this is revealing about the gossipy nature of the social circle. 

Joy observes a tennis match. Near the bottom of the screen, you can see a warning sign forbidding skateboarding. Notice that throughout the video, there are signs like this giving safety warnings. A little ironic touch given that the video is about them killing one another. 

In the gym, Irene, Joy, Yeri, and Wendy gather for a game of dodgeball, three against Irene. In the basket, there are more than just dodge balls. The three grabs these objects from the basket, we assume, to throw at Irene. 

Tennis, dodgeball, the arcade sound of the song, the title “Russian Roulette,” these are all games. It highlights the theme of love as a game, where its players must compete against one another. 

Joy: 1 Yeri: 1 Wendy: 2

Yeri lies with her head in Irene’s lap. Throughout the video we get flashes like this, showing their friendship. While they compete with one another, we still see them interact as friends. Though this is a game of death, they never appear paranoid or untrusting of one another. 

Seulgi has a little rig set up, something similar to Mouse Trap. She knocks over dominoes, and the balloon falls on the cactus. It’s a convoluted trap, very cartoonish. This is a smaller model of her later trap for Joy.  

There’s a raven, which has obvious symbolism: death. These are deadly games. 

On the right side, you can see the locker room safety rules sign. Again, irony–especially as this scene foreshadows one of Seulgi’s “deaths.”

Seulgi and Wendy stand on opposing sides of the tennis court. This is the match Joy is overseeing when she’s startled by the back and forth of the ball. She’s startled by the intensity of the match. This is a mirror for the deadlier games of the video.

Someone stands at the edge of a diving platform. Someone approaches from behind. This foreshadows Yeri’s death. 

Wendy first drains the pool.

And pushes Yeri.

Joy: 1 Yeri: 1 Wendy: 3

Here we get our first instance of the parallel animation. The mouse pushes the cat in the pool, a mirror of Wendy pushing Yeri. The cat and mouse are an obvious reference to Tom & Jerry. However, in the cartoons, it was always Tom as the aggressor, with Jerry only responding to what Tom did. Here the mouse is the aggressor, trying to kill the creature that threatens it–just as the girls kill those that threaten their relationship.  

The cat flattens out, another cartoon trope. 

Yeri, Irene, Wendy, and Joy all stand behind the lockers, waiting for Seulgi. Another surprising instance of friendship. They all target one another, but they’re still united against each other. 

Red Velvet at a table once again. Yeri holds a box of cereal (which is a real cereal, by the way). They eat together, another instance of friendship.

Wendy lies in bed, with Seulgi and Irene hiding beneath it. This is what I mean by there’s no paranoia. Seulgi and Irene are very obviously there and Wendy is not alarmed. 

The cereal is obviously not cereal. 

But they still eat it. Although only Irene is seen holding the spoon to her mouth, I am going to assume that all of the members ate it. 

Joy: 1 Yeri: 5 Wendy: 3

Seulgi does Joy’s makeup. Another instance of friendship. She pretends to be a friend while sabotaging her. Seulgi has propped up refrigerator over Joy’s head. A larger version of the trap from earlier can be seen in the background. 

Seulgi cuts the string.

Irene and Seulgi push Wendy out into traffic. 

Joy: 1 Yeri: 5 Wendy: 3 Seulgi: 1 Irene: 1

The fridge falls on Joy.

Joy: 1 Yeri: 5 Wendy: 3 Seulgi: 2 Irene: 1

Wendy and Seulgi position the piano at the top of the stairs. 

This is probably the least likely death in the video, but I will nevertheless include it. 

Joy: 2 Yeri: 6 Wendy: 3 Seulgi: 2 Irene: 1 

They push the lockers over on Seulgi.

Joy: 3 Yeri: 7 Wendy: 4 Seulgi: 2 Irene: 2

The cartoon cat gets a lump on its head, just like in Tom & Jerry. 

At the base of the stairs, Joy and Irene are playing Cat’s Cradle. Another game. 

Wendy and Seulgi push the piano down at Joy and Irene. This reminds me strongly of the episode of Tom & Jerry when Tom was killed after a piano fell down the stairs and hit him, sending him to heaven.

These are the last deaths of the video. The final score for kills is: 

Joy: 3 Yeri: 7 Wendy: 6 Seulgi: 4 Irene: 2

As for deaths:

Joy: 3 Yeri: 1 Wendy: 2 Seulgi: 3 Irene: 4

Irene not only kills the least, but she dies the most. She is the only member who died more often than she killed. In this deadly game of love, she is by far the biggest loser. And yet, she’s the one who gets shot with the love bullet. She’s the one who stays in love. She was done the most harm, but did the least. It’s not that she survived the most, because she didn’t. It’s because she was the least involved in harming her friends that love has stayed with her. 

The raven, which is typically an ominous sign of death, cocks its head, as if watching the events of the video. It’s amused by their cartoonish violence. Death is given a comical turn, just like the cartoons. 

The views presented in this analysis are a part of my own individual interpretation of the video, which means they are subject to error. This post is based off of the video from the official SMTown Youtube channel, as well as the teaser video. All English lyrics taken from kpoplyrics.net. 

Toy Soldiers: Almost everything about this video communicates the concept of toy soldiers. The choreography alone could deliver that message, even if the teaser video didn’t outright tell us.

Here are a few screenshots from the teaser video. They’re toy soldiers, the windup kind designed exclusively to march. Toys in general are interesting objects because they are pieces of plastic or wood or whatever material made up to look like something else–a doll looks like a girl, a train set like a train–real world objects made miniature. And the inanimate objects are made animate by a child, who is fully in control of them. Real life soldiers themselves follow this pattern as well. As units, they are “inanimate” in the sense that they lack the agency to make decisions. They are under the control of their superiors. They are only “animated” in the orders they follow. They only march when they are wound up. 

A toy soldier is doubly bound–under the influence of both general and child. Except that where real world soldiers have the choice to follow orders or not, toy soldiers do not. The tyranny of the child is the stronger one, an unexpectedly dark twist. The control that is the focus of this video is the sort of control that we may be unaware of, just as oblivious as a toy being played with. This is a call to wake up.

We begin with the inanimate state. The members are lying on a table, with cords and surging lights. The music that plays is tense and disruptive. The first twenty seconds of this video are in black and white. It’s dark, moody, and sets the tone for the rest of the video. 

We get this shot of a child standing in front of a carousel, holding a musical instrument. (I am sorry for my musical ignorance, it’s probably a clarinet or an oboe or something.) For the purposes of this analysis I’m just going to call it a pipe because there is a lyric that refers to a piper boy. The child wears a large mask. This is contrasted with a shot of Minho from the teaser holding the same pipe, appearing to play it. The pipe, I think is an indicator of power and the ability to lead. In the fairy tale the Pied Piper of Hamelin, the piper lures away children using his magic pipe. Both the child and Minho possess the pipe and have some possession of power. 

I want to call attention to the nature of these two masks. The child’s mask conceals his identity, but still gives him the appearance of a face. Minho (along with all the other members in the teaser) has a mask that conceals his face without giving him another. He looks inhuman. His identity is removed completely. Where the child, our general or “tyrant,” is faceless in the sense that he has the luxury of power without responsibility, Minho is faceless in a way where he loses himself. He turns more into a creature at beck and call, than a soldier. Without identity and will, whatever power he could wield is not his own. 

The carousel plays into the video in two ways. First, it carries into the childish, youthful aspect of toys. It also plays well with the creepy mood. Second, it suggests a sort of cyclicality I’ll discuss later.

Next we get a shot of an army of identical toy men. Everything is in shades of gray. It reminds me of some old horror/sci-fi movie. Every single one is the same. This reveals something about the military mindset. Soldiers are trained to forgo individual identity in favor of group identity. This is called deindividuation. They become less conscious of themselves, more obedient to a set chain of command.

Here we get what could have been a very disturbing image, if not for the Genie ad. The same masked child, our “tyrant,” stands under a bright light. Overhead, a raven flies upside down. The inversion of the the raven’s flight is unsettling, as it defies nature. The placement of the child gives the impression that the child has caused this. If we weren’t already weary of the child, we should be now. Especially given that ravens often symbolize death. 

This inversion also ties into the inversion of child-adult roles. It is a child that commands the members. 

There’s a brief flash of a scorpion, a creature that also has death symbolism, but also can represent control.

SHINee still lies on the table. They wear military uniforms fitting of soldiers, frozen in the poses of toys. The camera moves from their feet to this overhead shot just above them, almost like a giant standing up to loom over them. It’s foreboding.

The child opens the door to SHINee on the floor. The child’s shadow looms. He enters and plugs this giant plug in. He spurs them to life, animating them. They come to life only because it was his will. 

The room lights up and we finally see color. SHINee themselves are wearing white uniforms. Contrast this to the individual colors from their stand alone shots, like Key’s pictured below. Individual identity fades within the context of a group. 

The moment you dig deep into the night, it’s time

to find the rhythm that you’ve heard for the first time

I’m like the piper boy

and you’re like a dreaming child

Now everyone follow me and match your steps

Key mimes playing a flute, a reference to this piper boy lyric. This is an attempt to regain control in the battle of wills. The soldier will become the piper, will wake others for the cause. 

Taemin wears a black fur coat next to a glass beast. It’s unclear if it’s supposed to be a bear or a panther or what. This is another instance of inversion. Glass, especially mirror glass like here, is a human invention. It’s cold. Wholly inanimate. And Taemin wears the fur, something the beast should be wearing. He instead takes on the beast’s attributes. Something powerful, but under control of another. 

Minho stands on a checkered floor amidst chess pieces. They’re white, like the uniforms from dance scenes. I also don’t think there are ever anymore than five visible pieces at a time. These five pieces are the five members. Objects of power to be moved across a playing board without will. 

Onew lies in front of a large chair, again on a checkered floor like a chess board. The chair is vaguely throne like, a symbol of power, but he doesn’t actually sit on it. Power within reach but not within grasp.

Jonghyun stands amongst statues without heads. It evokes just the physical power of the body without the conscious center of thought to guide it. It’s decoration, just how soldiers can become decorations of power. 

Key stands in front of a giant floating phonograph horn. I think this has something to do with the idea of this video as a message, like the message is being projected out loud, and it’s powerful–it’s own force. 

Here we have the wind up part of the dance. 

Eventually, they come to rebel against the tyrannical control. Jonghyun smashes the statues that represent control, and Onew stands up before the throne as if to regain power. 

At the end, it looks like they pull the pins out of their backs. They collapse. They remove the part of themselves that allows them to be controlled. A sort of “give me liberty or give me death.”

In the end, they end up the same way they began: on the floor and powerless. They are no longer under the control of another, but neither do they necessarily have their own form of control. They can only operate on the power they’re given. They cannot move past it. Any illusions of individual power were just that–illusions. 

The views presented in this analysis are a part of my own individual interpretation of the video, which means they are subject to error. This post is based off of the video from the official SMTown Youtube channel.

A Monster prequel? This video definitely has similar vibes to Monster. The set, filming techniques, and certain visual parallels do seem to connect the two–especially since this video ends with them getting arrested and Monster begins with them in prison. I do think it’s very possible that this is supposed to be an explanation for how they landed themselves in prison, but I’m not entirely convinced. Why? Monster was about them working together to escape, and Lotto seems to feature them fighting against one another. 

A Trojan War, Of Sorts: For those of you who need to brush up on your mythology, the Trojan War was fought between the Greeks and the Trojans over the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen. Helen was married to the Greek king Menelaus, but was captured by the Trojan prince Paris (some versions of the myth say she fell in love with him) and taken into the walled city of Troy. The war was fought to win Helen back, ultimately won when the Greeks tricked the Trojans with the trojan horse. 

I don’t think that this video is supposed to be a retelling of the myth, per se, more like it plays on the same type of story line. Two sides fighting over a woman. In this case, we have Exo split into two gangs. One I will call the home team, comprised of Baekhyun, Xiumin, Kai, and Chen. They operate this gambling ring. They capture a girl valued by a rival criminal group–Chanyeol, Suho, Sehun, and Lay. Chanyeol’s group infiltrates the gambling operation in order to save the girl. I believe that in this story line, D.O. is functioning as a sort of “trojan horse,” or double agent. He “joins” the home team while assisting Chanyeol. 

The video begins with a shot of this girl running from something, which is later revealed to be a wolf. The video starts with her because she is the single most important factor in this video. She’s the instigator–and in the end, she’s the only one walking free. Throughout the video (though not always), scenes where she’s present will be shot in black and white. But the black and white scenes are not seen anywhere else except when she is present. This again confirms her importance. 

As well, here she appears very innocent. She wears white, a color typically associated with purity. She also appears vulnerable, as she’s running from a wolf. She seems an innocent victim, which will change by the end of the video. 

After a brief flash of a cockfight, we see D.O. standing directly in the line of sight of a cracked door. This raises my suspicion for a few reasons. First, it’s only a cracked door. It seems as if the person opening the door is peeking in, trying to observe but not be discovered. Second, D.O. is making direct eye contact with the camera–which can be a substitute for the person peeking in. And he doesn’t look alarmed. He shrugs, communicating. He’s making contact with someone outside of this operation. This is one of the reasons I’ve pegged D.O. as a double agent. 

Our first glimpse at the debauchery of this underground ring is a cockfight. A cockfight is basically where two roosters fight to the death while the viewers place bets. I want to highlight three things: the cockfight, the gamblers, and Baekhyun.

The cockfight communicates two things. First, that these are cruel and greedy people and that this is a bad place. It helps to establish the tone of this sort of operation. Second, the cockfight taps into a certain tension also present between these two rival groups. They too are struggling against one another, aiming to destroy the other. 

Baekhyun is just watching, he’s not placing bets. He runs this part of the ring. He’s there to experience it, to see himself making a profit, to watch the grit and the cruelty of the bet. This reveals much about his character. As well, Baekhyun is not wearing a mask where the “customers” are. None of Exo is. While the others have to protect their identities and reputations, they have nothing to hide. They have no life apart from crime that they have to protect. It’s like they believe themselves too powerful to be caught. 

The guests appear to be wearing mostly white, all wearing metallic masks. (Did this remind anyone else of the ghoul restaurant from Tokyo Ghoul?) These guests are rich, with money to waste. Their clothing is nice. They come from luxury. Contrast this to the world of grime they’ve come to. They wear white, as if in faux innocence. Their luxury and their money are their disguise, as they assume purity despite the grime they choose to associate with. Exo wears dark colors or black. They do not assume innocence. They do not pretend, while their patrons do. 

Another fascinating thing about this video is that usually you introduce the protagonist first, so you root for them. But aside from the group dance shot and the short flash of D.O., we see the bad guys first. We get a good look inside the devil’s den before we meet Chanyeol and the others coming as saviors. It sort of makes you root for them, even though they’re in the wrong. But then I guess it only goes deeper, since Chanyeol and his group are criminals, too. It’s not exactly who’s good and who’s bad, it’s who’s worse? And they all fall in the end, anyway. 

This is another suspicious thing about D.O.’s character. While others give the air of running the operation (Baekhyun watches the cockfight, Kai smirks at the head of the table), D.O. looks wide-eyed, mystified. It looks as if he’s gambled for the first time. It looks like he’s new to this, as if he’s just joined up with them. The camera spins as well, making it seem more fantastical. If he has just joined, it would make sense if he was sent by Chanyeol to help him infiltrate the gambling ring. 

Here the girl is revealed to be running from a wolf, but just one. This wolf represents the underground ring that captures her. I will further explain this late in the post. 

Here is a shot of the poker chips and money. They’ve used an altered American $100 bill, which makes sense as American currency is most iconically linked to greed and gambling. As well, Benjamin Franklin has been replaced with the image of a skull. (It looks like there are images on the chips, as well, but they’re a little too small for me to make out.) The inclusion of the skull could either signify that this is dirty money, or that money itself brings destruction. 

D.O. has his back against the cockfight cage. Continuing with the assumption that the two roosters symbolize the two sides of the conflict, D.O. is caught between them. He’s a double agent, linked to both sides. It’s only a matter of deciding which to pick. He’s betting on which side will come up on top.

I also wanted to call attention to the fact that there’s PVC strips around the cage area. Why? To limit blood splatter. (Also, Baekhyun looks cute.) Just again reinforcing that this is not at all a wholesome setting. 

After being chased by a wolf, she collapses. A wolf approaches from each side, as if while she was being chased by one wolf, she was running toward another. While she was being pursued by Baekhyun and the others, she was running toward Chanyeol’s side.  

This is the second inclusion of animals as a metaphor for the opposing sides, highlighting the violence and raw animal aggression of this struggle. 

After she collapses, someone picks her up. From the next scene, where she’s tied up, we know that she was picked up by the gambling ring. 

This is one of those black and white scenes. She looks otherworldly. Lights shine from above. She’s suspended in the air. Her skirt reaches the floor, making her body appear larger than a normal human being. More than anything, this reminds me of the image of a sacrifice. She appears otherworldly and vital but she’s helpless. She’s been put on display. She’s a prize, almost teasing Chanyeol’s side. 

We see Chanyeol immediately after the shot of the girl. They’re linked. 

Chanyeol, Suho, and Sehun are in the car, driving toward enemy territory where they’ll rescue her. 

They come prepared for a fight. 

D.O. sits on top of the cage, video camera in hand as he films everything. If he were truly a part of this operation, why would he be filming their illegal activity? No, he’s filming evidence. This is the tape that Chanyeol has at the end of the video.

Once they enter, all the customers flee. They sense a fight. I also think that it’s important that D.O. is the first person they see when they enter.

When the customers try to flee, Lay and Sehun shut them in.

As chaos breaks out, Kai and a chauffeur get into an ostentatious car. This is another display of arrogance. Kai fully expects to make a get away in this obvious, expensive car driven by a masked chauffeur. 

However, Chanyeol leaps onto the hood of the car, prohibiting his getaway, mocking him.

At first, Baekhyun sat on top of the cage where the cockfights were going on, though it’s filled instead with their patrons. This showed how he was playing them as he profited from their bets. However, in the second shot, he’s the one in the cage. The tables have turned and now he’s trapped by his own business. 

Chanyeol’s gang has not come only to rescue the girl. Lay and Sehun trapped the customers. Suho in a remarkably Dark Knight-esque fashion, burns all of their dirty money. They came not just to save but to destroy, not just take back what’s theirs, but to raze the city. It’s about sending a message, right?

This is probably what I think to be the most confusing part of the video. There are fake trees all leaned against each other, with a ladder leaned against that. A man is tied to some part of this with a bag over his head, and there’s a flare nestled in the ropes that bind his feet. I think that this man is Kai’s chauffeur? Maybe the whole image is meant to emulate a pyre? If you guys have any ideas, feel free to message me. 

I think the flare most definitely indicates distress, as Kai has been caught. 

Eventually, SWAT shows up to interrupt the conflict. Chen has his feet up on table and a wine glass in his hand. He even seems to smirk. He seems wholly undisturbed by Chanyeol’s gang, by the SWAT team. Like Baekhyun, like Kai, he’s come to think himself impervious. That notion will crumble. 

With the arrival of the SWAT team, both sides seem to join together against the authorities. i think this perspective is interesting, because it appears to be shot from outside the door, as if you’re running away while this is happening.

Just as Baekhyun is trapped by his own business, Chen places blame with their operation. He destroys the table. His illusions have crumbled, he sees the end is near, and he lashes out in anger.

Others fight and are surrounded.

Meanwhile, Chanyeol’s first priority is that he gets her out. 

She’s conscious when they were running away, but unconscious here. Being that Chanyeol is just about to be arrested, I think that she is pretending to be unconscious in an effort to appear a victim. 

Where before she seemed just a pawn passed between two aggressors, here she reveals her true colors as she takes the tape of evidence from Chanyeol. If the officers were to find the tape on Chanyeol, they might assume he was complicit in this particular gambling ring. If she hands the tape in, it’s evidence she found–evidence against their rivals. She helps him. 

As soon as the tape is in her hand, she goes back to playing the victim. She’s consoled by SWAT and escorted away. At this point, we can assume she’s the only one left free. In all of this she’s been presumed innocent, but in the last minute we see she’s complicit. Though they’re all captured, there’s more evidence against Baekhyun and the others. She gives Chanyeol’s side the advantage. She is the most important piece. Every other member went down but they got her out and that’s all that matters.

I tried to draw the new dark Kaneki 

[no conozco a nadie que escriba y no esté triste tampoco a nadie que pueda salvar el mundo y lo sepa]