lovedreamsandstraykids

Bangchan wants you to eat a Japanese Dango pudding

Lee Know wants you to do 100 cartwheels

Changbin wants you to eat something delicious and then exercise

Hyunjin wants you to take photos of flowers and post them

Han wants you to sing Hold My Hand instead of Happy Birthday

Felix wants you to collect all your Skzoo Bbokari merch and take a picture to post online

Seungmin wants you to eat Japanese style fried chicken

STRAY KIDS MAKING OF DIVINE MV

Hyunjin revealed that in his shrine scene where his character is drawing tailsmans that the characters written on his neck are the names of the members of Stray Kids.

Hyunjin also had some fun with the Emperor's crown

STRAY KIDS DIVINE MV MAKING OF

Han and stuntpersons perform a technique from marital arts films called 'wirework' that has been used for decades. The wires are digitally removed in postproduction.

The genre that Stray Kids are working with is called 'murim' in Korea and 'wuxia' in China, a specific type of story set in a mythical past where martial arts fighters can fly and sometimes use other spiritual powers (the fantasy subgenre is called 'xianxia')

*in order of appearance in the Making of DO IT mv

FELIX - I want STAY to Do It! For example to a friend say "I love you," or "I am always here for you." "I will always look out for you," - that kind of nice message. I hope you'll do that, you can be a good influence on the people around you. And you can also feel your own kind of happiness. That's the To Do List I give you, STAY make sure to try it out, Fighting!

HYUNJIN - STAY has to think of me, before bed you have to think of me, you have to like me.* No matter what you do, you have to like it. Got It? If you see me on the street, just confess to me, go "Oh, it's Hyunjin! I love you!" please say it, I'll be watching.

I.N. - Whenever they see me adore me! Very easy, right? ... I'll do lots of cute things so let's promise me you will adore me forever!* Okay? Bye!

CHAN - The song Do It is a very straightforward song, Just Do It! Do it, why hesitate? Just Do It. Do It First, without regrets! That kind of simple theme, but we expressed it in our Stray Kids way. I actually walk outside a lot, so if you run into me, I don't mind if you say hi casually. This is really important! Water! You have to drink enough water! Staying hydrated is very important. I want you to go to Australia at least once. Make sure you go! That might be a bit tough! Drink water, dream of Stray Kids* Goodnight!

SEUNGMIN - I'm going to give you a Do It Mission. This mission is our CEREMONY chorus choreo, this move, you know. (image right) The STAY pose is old now, so let's update it a bit. If you run into Stray Kids, then do this as you pass by ... (repeats gesture) This, I will give you this as your Do It Mission.

LEE KNOW - Please make a delicious pudding shop in front of our (JYP) company! Building prices are expensive everyone. I.N.'s house - turn it into a candy house! Since the house is sweet, bugs with gather everyday, right? Then I.N will call me, "catch the bug!' and I will go over. Are my intentions suspicious? In summer it could even melt. I'll go catch bugs for him.

CHANGBIN - Work out with Changbin! And go eat something delicious with Changbin. Think of Changbin when you eat, Think of Changbin before bed, so Changbin can do well and look cute. Fill your words with lots of sweetness and trap him in a praise prison. Goodbye!

HAN - First of all, the source of love and all happiness is food, strength from food. So eat a delicious meal and stay healthy. Second, for STRAY KIDS go to FANS post nice words, and things you are proud of so we can see them. Updates, fun things, post them! And Third, STRAY KIDS actually has more mellow songs than you might think. Before bed, or when you need peace of mind or to relax, listen to a few B-sides and find some calm and build your determination for today and tomorrow.

SKZ LORE - DO IT

To emphasize the nature of STRAY KIDS as shapeshifters (the eight crows flying into a grey dystopia at the beginning of the mv and the eight crows who fly away from a newly green world as it closes)

Felix wears a black bomber jacket with the motif of a bird on the back as well as an aviator's cap.

In the early days of airplane flight (1903 post WW1) pilots wore close fitting leather caps and often perched their goggles ontop. There were no enclosed cabins and often only a small windshield.

Jeongin and Han (as well as Chan) appear in the mv with motorized broom bikes, Jeongin holds a black feather, again on the theme of crows and flight.

Jeongin mentions in the Do It behind the scenes that crows can be seen as bringing misfortune, but STAY should see Stray Kids as crows bringing good luck.

SKZ LORE - STRAY KIDS NUMBERED COSTUMES and their meanings

Also seen on the Karma Era Jerseys pairings are for oldest members to youngest

03/25 - Bang Chan and Lee Know - Stray Kids Debut

04/04 - Changbin and Hyunjin - 1st Award Show Win

08/01 - Han and Felix - STAY becomes SKZ fandom name

SKZ DOIT TRAILER visual references and symbolism

(posted Oct 18)

BIRDS/WINGS/FEATHERS - flying black birds, image of a cat with wings and a young man with wings, a painting of a white swan being held in someone's arms, birds around a city,

Seungmin wears a costume with black feathers around the arms and neck,

Bang Chan is perched at the end of a staircase with the guardrail simulating wings,

Hyunjin gently pets and holds a bird and white feathers are floating in the air. (Escape)

ANIMALS - images of cats, hounds (wolflike) and

Hyunjin is wearing a fur coat (Escape) Hyunjin is also seen crawling on the floor on all fours

SNAKES - Felix bears a snake sigil/tattoo on his neck, has a snake winding around or from a dagger, and a snake winding around his neck, Han is holding a snake dagger

PLANTLIFE - trailer opens with a burning tree, possible shot of earth from space showing rivers that have the shapes of trees,

Bang Chan is dropping grapes (Venom) he steps and crushes a grapevine,

Lee Know is in a room with plants, injecting a plant using a syringe,

Jeongin and Lee Know are seen with vines growing out of their necks,

Changbin has a thorn sigil/tattoo going up his arm as well as stands beside a hybrid form of a creature spine/sea dragon/tree,

WEBS - Seungmin is inside/beside a web of threads and also cuts a thread with a knife, (Venom, Maniac)

DAGGERS - Felix, Han and Seungmin all have daggers with a snake

MIRRORS - Han is reflected in a mirror Han and Seungmin face each other pressing against mirrors (Venom)

SIGILS/TATTOOS - appear on Felix on his neck of a snake, Bang Chan (unknown) on his cheek and Changbin of thorns all along his right arm as he holds a horn-shaped item.

OTHER - Felix places a silver necklace with what could be a weapon as well as a symbol on the wall

IN is seen influencing a couple (possible mind control) and moves in a way suggests the supernatural revealing a hidden dark side (Freeze)

Lee Know takes a tooth out of his mouth,

Bang Chan has spreading red infection on his forehead,

Felix is shown wearing gloves with metal talons (Railway)

The symbolism in the KINGDOM live performance of Side Effects

What is Felix holding? This particular style and decoration is a Tibetan Ghanta Bell used in the practice of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered a spiritual weapon but used by the general public today in meditation practices.

This ritual bell is believed to drive out evil spirits, in the performance Stray Kids are beset by ghosts/demons in the form of black clad figures who are trying to control them, their motions imitate puppetry.

The use of black (or white) clad figures is a staple in Stray Kids performances and is a dramatic tool not merely costuming for dancers or stagehands.

Black and white in Asian culture often refers to the Chinese philosophy of yīn yáng (a symbol adapted in Stray Kids album KARMA.)

Here black and white represent dynamics that are in opposition yet are complementary - yin and yang are bound together as parts of a mutual whole, we are focused less on a 'side' and more on the push and pull that activates the world.

This is why in many Asian narratives a complex backstory is given to a protagonist some may see as a villain or antihero, so that the reader can sympathize with their plight and the work promotes a theme of forgiveness and redemption.

The Ghosts tempt the Stray Kids away from the path of righteousness, in this case the symbolic use of lights and the ghosts work to physically pull the Stray Kids away from each other.

Felix appears with the bell to rescue Stray Kids, he rings the bell by striking it with his fist driving away the ghosts

In religious practice the Ganta bell is struck from the outside to make it's unique vibrating sound using a tool called the Varga. This metal scepter with two spherical heads symbolizes the properties of a diamond and a thunderbolt.

The hollow of the bell represents the void from which all existence arises, the scepter represents form. Together they symbolize wisdom and compassion. The sound, like life itself, arises, radiates and then dissolves back into emptiness.

Diamonds are referenced in Stray Kids songs Saiyan references to thunder and ghosts used in Thunderous and Ghost.

THEMES IN THE PERFORMANCE

OF STRAY KIDS LORE

The use of mirroring, where figures appear on different planes of existence echoes the concept that Stray Kids inhabit different worlds that intersect through portals.

Ghosts, spirits appearing in white as well as black, in this case bodies that rise through a white fabric.

The element of control/puppetry is taken over by Stray Kids against their adversaries with red ropes.

Red in the Korean Five Colors is used to repel and subdue evil

Behind Stray Kids appear a meteor or a mountaintop surrounded by gold hoops and golden orbs. Mountains appear as a symbol of power between gods in the mv Mountains.

As the ghosts are subdued and under their control, A giant appears behind them standing in a field of tombstones. The mv Giant explores the concept of Stray Kids as gods in control of worlds.

and just for some added interest, the makeup used in the video for Bang Chan, Changbin, Jeongin and Felix. (Felix's lips have the word live upside down, and projections on stage alternate between the English words Evil and Live.)

THE ORIGIN OF THE 'STAY POSE' or How to Know Other STAY if you meet them in the wild.

Stray Kids appeared on the Korean television show Weekly Idol near the release of the NOEASY album and were asked how STAY meeting each other should greet, Han and Lee Know did this pose.

The STAY Pose has been put into Stray Kids choreography - most notably in Thunderous (more obvious in the stage versions)

and the 0801 mv from the album Karma. (header image) 0801 - August 1st is celebrated as the day the name STAY was adopted as the fan name for Stray Kids.

Lee Know is the largest promoter of the STAY pose does not hesitate to demonstrate for STAY whenever possible, most often at fan meetings.

Bang Chan performs the STAY pose while promoting Do It.

There have been attempted adaptations to the Stay Pose that have not caught on, demonstrated by Seungmin (with a gun shooting gesture) Lee Know and Changbin (with something similar to a backward 'dab') in a Spotify interview.

*updated - order of images are as shown in mv

Felix holds a talisman called Bujeok, created by shamans/spirit mediums for protection from evil, these were often handwritten with a brush and ink, typically on a yellow paper, some were also made with woodcuts.

Seungmin flies over the cortege of a high official representing the Emperor on a scroll painting with a landscape of mountains and clouds, called Muninhwa these were considered as the pinnacle of painted art. Chinese styles such as landscapes were coveted and often included poems.

Many paintings in shrines and temples depict Immortals and Gods as well as spirits perching on clouds. In supernatural Korean and Chinese dramas, warriors fly standing on top of swords or clouds.

Pungmul a Korean folk music tradition that includes drumming, dancing, and singing with dozens of players all in constant motion, at times to accompany spirit medium rituals. (These dancers were also featured in Thunderous)

They are associated with the rural farming population, and after the occupation of Korea by Japan before WW1 lasting until WW2 they became a symbol of resistance, and even in the 1970s were part of demonstrations for the pro-democracy movement

Large fans and umbrellas accompany the palanquin (sometimes horseless carriage carried by servants 가마, gama) of a high official, Dragon symbols could only be carried by those who were in the Imperial court with the number of toes on the Dragon dictated rank.

Black represents authority and can sometimes refer to ghosts and the supernatural, (as does the color green) but this does not necessarily mean 'evil'. Black was also a color worn by the elite of society in the Joseon era.

Ghosts and even demons are seen as part of the natural world, persons become ghosts because their spirits have unresolved issues with the living, and can grow stronger in resentment - if the ghost devours other ghosts they can become strong enough to kill the living.

Cultivators/Immortals - (spiritual martial artists) Stray Kids appear from the clouds.

White is a symbol of purity and the divine, a clean slate of mind without greed/attachment to worldly things.

White was also the color of the clothing of the common people in the Joseon era, visitors would often ask why everyone was in 'mourning' as this was the tradition in China and Japan. Stray Kids are in this greyed white as they descend, whereas in most Korean and Chinese dramas the white robes will be pristine and brilliant.

Immortals often lived on mountaintops and secluded themselves from the outside world. This is a staple in modern Asian fiction

(Cultivation novels were developed into a genre by Hong Kong author Jin Yong - they are referred to as wuxia or (supernatural fantasy based) xianxia in Chinese and murim in Korea)

Korean Five Colors - Obangsaek is the color scheme of the five Korean traditional colors of white (West), black (North), blue (East) , red (South) and yellow (the Center) these concepts were adopted from Chinese culture when Korea was a tributary state. These also combine, in order with the Elements - Metal (Tiger) Water (Turtle w snake tail) Wood (Dragon) Fire (Firebird) and The Earth (The Yellow Emperor)

The red color is to repel ghosts and is used by exorcists, Jeongin and Felix in the mv are dressed in red.

Changbin stands before a Hongsalmun - a gate for entering a sacred space, indicating Korean Confucian sites such as shrines and tombs. The gate is red to repel ghosts and demons.

The figures behind Changbin appear to be the same masked escort to the official who have been enthralled.

Hyunjin is among this group in the Divine trailer. Stray Kids are exorcising the Emperors guard from ghosts/demons.

Hyunjin in a shrine with a brush indicates that he is the creator of the spirit medium talismans, the paper decorations behind him might be kŭlbal or kŭlmun the names of deities, prayers or fortunes.

Jeongin holds a wine bottle from the early Joseon era, (1392 to 1897) rice, fruit and wine were used as offerings to the gods and in rituals. They can be used to store energies, spirits, ghosts.

The Joseon era is considered the Golden Age of Korean Culture, which saw the creation of the Korean written language Hangul, there were unique advancements in literature, science, and the arts

Chan appears bearing a wood and paper fan (buchae) handpainted with a white tiger - the symbol of Korea the 'common people' - which he uses as a spiritual weapon against enemies

Consciously, the Stray Kids use Fans instead of edged blades, this is to show they use wind/sound as their weapons, their music.

In their mv for the song LaLaLaLaLa, Stray Kids fight a 'sound monster' so this is a theme.

Stray Kids use their Cultivation powers to defeat the official and release the soldiers, ceremonial guards and musicians from possession.

Lee Know is at a shrine (similar in style to a Confucian shrine of the Joseon era) practicing martial arts with a Mubuchae - a battle fan made of pak dahl wood which could be tempered to resist swords and axes.

Behind Lee Know at the shrine a black figure plays a stringed instrument, the Gayageum is a traditional Korean musical instrument. It is a plucked zither with 12 strings.

In Cultivation dramas, films and novels musical instruments are used as spiritual weapons.

Han also has a large battle fan and spiritual drummers appear at his arrival

Hyunjin appears in an Imperial throne room, wearing and tossing off the Emperor's robes as well as the Myeonryugwan, a crown with a beaded veil where the length of the beads (in the Korean Five Colors) indicated rank.

He is also seen attacking the Emperor with a talisman. Talismans were also used to control or exorcise ghosts and demons, if they were found to have possessed someone.

(from the Making of Divine mv)

The painting behind the throne is the Irworobongdo, “Painting of the Sun, Moon and Five Peaks,” and sometimes known as the Moon Embracing the Sun. was placed behind Eojwa, the royal throne, to display the majesty of the Joseon royal court.

With the five peaks at the center, pine trees expressing longevity are on either side of the image. Flowing streams fall into a river. The Sun is gold representing the Emperor and the Moon is red representing the Empress.

Incidentally, in Stray Kids Lore, two moons often appear in the sky to reflect a parallel world to our own, where Stray Kids travel through portals such as elevators or breaking glass.

Jeongin sits inside of a palanquin in the palace as a symbol of overthrowing the Emperor.

and that's HALFWAY through the video folks! hope you are enjoying this trip through Korean culture! *originally posted by myself (karadin) in the STAY143 tumblr community

link to part 2

*updated -images appear in order in mv

Jeongin, Felix, Han and Seungmin strike martial arts poses, Korean styles are Taekwondo, Hapkido, Tang Soo Do, and Taekkyon, each with unique techniques and philosophies. Felix and LeeKnow have studied Taekwondo.

Seungmin wears a veil, in the Joseon era due to the rules of Korean Confucianism, women were not to show their faces in public, in modern Cultivation Kdramas, both men and women wear veils.

Lee Know adopts a meditation pose, in this manner martial artists with supernatural abilities who are called Cultivators or Immortals channel their Qi, or spiritual force to defend themselves or others from harm. In legend they live on mountaintops in seclusion, having little to do with the outside world.

In the way of Heroes, when called upon to assist humanity, they can be compelled by a good argument!

Changbin dons the Emperor's robes - the Gonryongpo - this robe is embroidered with five dragons, representing the Emperor as the ruler between heaven and earth.

Seungmin sits in a prayer pose before a Tiger screen, in the Joseon Dynasty Korea was influenced by a Korean style of Confucianism which influenced the political structure, Buddhism was used in personal and community rites and indigenous tradition still permeated the culture. Most people practiced rituals from different religions.

With Stray Kids in all black, we are seeing the soldiers being surrounded by demons/ghosts.

Stray Kids in white descending from the clouds from their Mountain sanctuary.

Felix (in red) performing a ritual in the shrine, capturing ghosts inside the bottles,

Felix drops one of the ritual vessels which releases a Ghost Dragon

The dragon has scales made of spectral ghosts.

An Asian dragon is a symbol of good fortune, Asian dragons do not have wings and they live in and control water - life giving rain and rivers to irrigate crops - when displeased they can cause storms and floods.

However, this dragon is a manifestation of negative spiritual energy built up from all of the ghosts and demons now released.

Symbolically a Dragon (which in the mv is the symbol of the corrupt Emperor) is in opposition to the Tiger. (the people)

Stray Kids in black are surrounded by the Ghost Dragon, the Stray Kids leap into the air and subdue it.

The dragon is forced to descend to Earth where the Stray Kids in the palace remove their masks to reveal themselves.

Ancient masks (often called Bangsangssi) were meant dispel evil spirits. Crafted from pine or straw, the masks were buried or burned after being used in exorcisms. We can assume this is how Stray Kids infiltrated the palace.

Looking sad, Leader Bang Chan all in black is shown before the landscape painting from the palace that Seungmin had flown on earlier

Chan leaps into the painting

This aligns with Stray Kids lore on parallel worlds and portals.Stray Kids are Everywhere Around The World (and other Worlds) in their many videos.

Paintings as portals are frequent in Asian media, books and dramas as well as the recent animated film Nezha.

Chan in the painting becomes the dragon rider standing on top of a cloud over the mountains. - the painting peels off its support and flies off into the sky. Masked figures are left behind watching it fly away.

The Immortal Stray Kids, having attempted to 'right' the world' return back to their Mountain and seclusion.

mv ends with a talisman flying into the clouds with Felix standing on the mountain, clad in black and white, bringing us full circle.

*many of the Kids had elements of black in their white clothing when they came down to Earth, this might be a symbol that in becoming involved with mortal problems, they become subject to mortal concerns, Chan leaves alone, so we don't know whom among the Kids (if any) might stay behind.