*☆ — 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚊𝚏𝚏𝚎

My everything Changmin said ‘Make your own stage.’, here’s his identity film.

I could talk about this one for AGES but I’ll try to zoom in on a few points. Aside from Changmin being a born performer and how clearly we can see his biggest passion is being on stage, I think there’s more behind his message than that. He is one of the biggest perfectionists in the industry and is the strictest with himself. He also struggles with depression and in his identity film he talks about how honesty isn’t always the best move and how he rarely talks about his feelings. To me that sounds like he has a lot on his mind but chooses not to be honest about it in order to keep his relationships happy, to not make people worry. I speak from personal experience here but sometimes telling other people what you’re dealing with can only make the problem feel bigger. Sometimes it’s nice not to tell anyone so hanging out with them is a distraction from what’s bothering you. Like he says in the film, when someone shares their struggles you’ll only feel down together. He also talks about how he always tries to give positive energy to others even when he isn’t happy himself. (I could keep going but I’ll get to the point now). By making his own stage I think he means making a life and a side of himself that focusses on the good things. When he’s not on the actual stage he’s down and struggling but instead of taking that with him into the rest of his life he created this second stage. This second stage is his escape from the negative thoughts, the stage has his friends who he has fun with, it has the music he loves and het gets to move around and indulge himself in his passions. The actual stage is where he is happiest and I feel like he created another layer of stage where he is kind of inbetween the way he is when he is dancing and the way he is when he’s caught up in negative thoughts. This metaphorical stage gives him the opportunity to enjoy life without the worries ruining the happy moments.

Next up is our Haknyeon, he said ‘Make your own romance.’, here’s his identity film.

The thing I love and admire most about Haknyeon is his confidence. This is something I noticed about him back when I saw him on Produce 101 and something that’s still very clear now. In the identity film he talks about how he has a hard time reading the room and considering everyone who’s there before speaking. This leads to miscommunications or annoyances that weren’t necessary. It must be so frustrating to him, trying his best but others misunderstanding him and taking his honesty the wrong way. Maybe he feels dilemma’s about being himself or giving that up in favor of the group. With ‘Make your own romance.’ my first idea was that he meant self-love. While others don’t always understand him, he has himself and he knows his worth. Even when others disagree or don’t see it, he knows that he’s a warmhearted and loving person. He’s proud of who he is and wants to show us that just because other don’t see it or disagree, doesn’t mean your romance and idealism aren’t there.

I loved Kevin’s part, he said ‘Make your own fantasy.’, here’s his identity film.

I could talk for HOURS about Kevin’s identity film. The first time I watched it I cried because of how much I related and how much I’ve struggled with the same things. How I see it, fantasy has two meanings here. First up the whole Peter Pan theme is a clear reference to Kevin wanting to always be a kid at heart no matter how old he gets. This also relates to the fantasy as in having a wide imagination to build it on. The second meaning I think is about the creation of the fantasy. He’s a social chameleon so he acts different based on the people he’s with to the point where he sometimes loses track of who he really is. To me (as someone who has a similar problem) making your own fantasy stands for taking control over your life and your image of yourself. It’s not about finding who you are but about creating who you are. Kevin has a very clear image of who and where he wants to be but struggles with questioning himself and pretty much everything. Make your own fantasy is a statement that focusses on taking back the reigns and making your own fantasy instead of it staying just a fantasy. 

Moving on to Sunwoo who said ‘Make your own vibe.’, here’s his identity film.

Another one which, to me, seems to encapsulate a lot of different meanings. Sunwoo is one of the moodmakers in the group and tends to stand out pretty quickly to newer fans. His personality is something I personally haven’t seen often in kpop. He’s a mix between cute and playful while also being mature and intriguing, so his vibes are pretty unique. In the identity film he mentions how much he compares himself to others and how he has a hard time accepting that he’s not where he expected to be. He doesn’t give any names but I think it’s safe to say he means other idolgroups with bigger fanbases or different concepts. With ‘Make your own vibe.’ I feel like he’s focusing less on the comparison with others and more about what makes him unique and how he can use it to his advantage. Instead of running after others he makes his own path for people to follow. I’ve noticed how he seems to feel more and more comfortable being himself on camera. He seems happier and more at ease, like he doesn’t feel pressured to keep up that tough rapper persona anymore. Now that unique vibe really shines through and I hope ‘Make your own vibe.’ means that he’s aware of how special he is and how much potential he has to work with.

Our rock, our leader, our Sangyeon said ‘Make your own glory.’, here’s his identity film.

So the meaning of glory can go a lot of different ways. In Sangyeon’s case I feel like he sees glory as the acknowledgement and respect someone gets for their achievements or hard work. Something I’ve noticed is how Sangyeon is the type of leader who always puts his group before himself. He’s the backbone or the quiet force of the group. Unlike some of the other members cough sunwoo cough we don’t see him doing fanservice or posting a lot. Instead he’s behind the scenes, making sure everyone is taken care of and heard. He doesn’t seem hungry for screentime or attention. Instead he does what he loves most, singing, making music, performing and most of all help the other members thrive. I think making his own glory means getting that acknowledgement and respect in a different way than most k-idols. In his identity film he uses the word ‘gentle’ to describe himself, mentions how the members tell him he’s reliable (eventhough he disagrees), says that he wants to be seen as cold from the outside but soft on the inside (adorable baguette metaphor ‘n all) and tells us that his biggest wish and dream is for the group to do well. He also talks about consciously staying positive for his mental health which is a very hard thing to do and requires a lot of self awareness. So making his own glory to me seems like he’s found his own way of feeling glorious. It’s not by getting the attention from the crowd or being in the spotlight by himself, it’s from taking care of his team and working to be someone he can be proud of without needing approval from others. 

REALLY excited about Chanhee who said ‘Make your own stereotype.’, here’s his identity film.

so aside from how beautiful the scene was and how his outfit reminded me of Karl Lagerfeld, let’s focus on the ‘Make your own stereotype’ for now. Chanhee gets put in a box at first impression a lot, like damn. There’s something about him that makes people think they know what he’s like right away, the same thing happened to me when I started getting into TBZ. In the identity film he also mentions how he hides himself and his feelings more than others which could have something to do with it, kind of like a shield. At the same time he cares a lot about what others think about him, more than how he feels about them. This must be very difficult. I can imagine him putting a lot of effort into his image and the way he comes across which is only enforced by his longing to be unique. He mentions how he wants to be seen as someone who can pull things off that not everyone can and it seems like fashion is his main way of doing this. I think making his own stereotype comes from that combination of always being put into a box and wanting to be someone who’s different. Since people already see him as a stereotype he wants to make that stereotype his own, like making a new one for others to see in him. I also wanted to reference this video where he talks with Juyeon for people who are still getting to know Chanhee.

Our squish Younghoon said ‘Make your own classic.’, here’s his identity film.

To me this one is the most straightforward out of all of them. His scene referenced a korean drama which I’m sadly not familiar with. Classic to me means something that most people see as valuable and that value not having a timelimit, there’s some reliability behind it built on a general positive view. I don’t think the meaning behind his phrase goes as deep as it does with some of the others. I think it’s him being proud of himself without feeling the need to show off. He’s an amazingly warmhearted person and seems very stable (I can’t think of a better word than stable but I hope you all get what I’m going for). He’s the type of person that pretty much anyone would think highly of but not in an intimidating way. For some reason I’ve always kind of admired him, only based on the vibes he gives off, I guess it’s that reliability again. So yea, I didn’t get a very deep meaning from his part but it still felt extremely fitting.

Next up is Jacob who said ‘Make your own freedom.’, here’s his identity film.

another one where I feel like it could be interpreted in a lot of different ways. In his identity film he talks about keeping a lot to himself. Instead of saying what’s on his mind he goes over different scenarios and really thinks about what he’s going to say, afraid of saying the wrong thing. He’s in his head a lot and would rather eat himself up than be a burden to others, legit the biggest sweetheart. Now there’s nothing wrong with being a sweetheart but in the identity film you can tell that it burdens him too. He wants to be able to get angry when he needs to but something is holding him back, he worries and has negative thoughts but has a hard time letting that out. Freedom to him might mean the freedom to express his emotions, the freedom to focus on his own worries instead of feeling responsible for the worries of others. Making his own freedom would be finding his voice and finding the space to let it all out.

Laaaastly our Eric, he said ‘Make your own pride.’, here’s his identity film.

There’s a very specific part in his identity film where he talks about showing a lot of interest in people and feeling bad when it’s not reciprocated. He’s known as the member who makes friends the easiest and enjoys meeting new people. He’s always energetic (#energeric) and one of the moodmakers. Sometimes it might seem like that’s all there is to him but he’s very thoughtful and has a big heart. The outgoing personality doesn’t come from a need for attention, it comes from genuine interest in the people around him. A lot of his energy goes into making other people happy and being someone else’s vitamin. He mentioned more than once how he’s a lot more sensitive and emotional than a lot of people think. So while others enjoy his energy and adorableness, they sometimes forget that he might want some in return. When you’re always so excited about people it can be difficult when you’re not getting that same excitement back. It might’ve made him doubt himself. I think making his own pride means he wants to find a way to feel proud of himself without having to get that excitement back. A way to be proud of what an amazing friend he is while not feeling bad when someone else’s personality means they don’t hype him up as much. His own pride in himself, instead of the pride he deserves to have from others but doesn’t always get because most people aren’t as loving and outgoing as he is.