#i realized i actually have a lot of minhyuk sets left for this mv

[candescentkpop]

Minhyuk

Monsta X: Beautiful Liar

Monsta X Part 72 / ∞

[aegi-yoo-blog]

Monsta X’s Shine Forever Theory Explained

Monbebes, finally Monsta X made a comeback with their newest release titled “Shine Forever” in the summer. Who else here guessed that it would be a bright song/MV? However, the MV turned out to be not as bright as I expected. Anyway, this is the first time I post a theory on Tumblr. I have some other theories that I shared only with my friends via private messages, but I can’t help writing down my thoughts on Shine Forever this time because IT IS SO GOOD! And, I’d like to let you know that English is not my first language, so maybe I’ll make some mistakes here and there. I warn you it’ll be a super long post, but I hope you enjoy it.

At first, I wanted to analyze the MV based on the outfits to make it easy for me to identify the setting. However, I found some parts very confusing.

In the picture above, you can see that some outfits simply do not match with any of the set of outfits. So I will not make an analysis solely based on the outfits.

In the beginning of the MV, we see that Monsta X are on a trip somewhere.

In the car, they are seated according to their roles in the MV: Shownu as the leader so he’s on the driving seat and drives the car; Kihyun is the protagonist, so he is at the center. Minhyuk is the antagonist so he is on the back seat. If you take a closer look, you will see that the atmosphere in this scene has already been intense. None of them smiles, laughs or chats. Everyone seems to be absorbed to their own thoughts. This is not the atmosphere you normally find in a picnic trip with your closest friends. This means that Monsta X are having a conflict. Jooheon observes members and is concerned about the situation. Kihyun is blindfolded and the atmosphere isn’t nice. I think this scene happens after the confrontation between Minhyuk and members.

The next scene tells about what happens right after the accident.

Kihyun is having a hard time to adapt to his new state after the accident. He is now unable to see because his eyes are hurt. This gives him a lot of difficulties because he cannot do the things he normally did without the help of other members. (The scene takes place in a kitchen, where Mom Kihyun usually cooks and enjoys his hobby in reality). Thus, he can’t accept the reality. He asked Hyungwon to blindfold him. By being blindfolded, at least he thinks that he cannot see because of the blindfold, not because of his loss of sight.

The point of view shifts to Minhyuk.

Pay attention to his clothes. He wore these clothes when the accident happened. Minhyuk contemplates about what has just happened and the accident repeats in his mind. It haunts him at all time, but he can’t erase the memory.

Then the scenes in which Kihyun is blindfolded alone at some different places are shown.

This is what Kihyun really feels when he’s blindfolded. He feels lonely and empty. What he truly needs in that state is the members. But when he’s depressed, he thinks he has no one who supports him. The world in darkness is scary because everything you have had before suddenly disappear from your sight. Again, pay attention to the clothes. In the first two pictures, Kihyun wear the clothes when he had an accident. He wears the clothes in the last two pictures in the end of the stories. What does this mean? Kihyun feels lonely all that time.

After the accident and when everyone tries to adapt to the new situation, Minhyuk still fails to get rid of the guilt he feels.

On the driver’s seat he recalls what has happened. He tried to help Kihyun but it was too late. He couldn’t do anything so he left Kihyun. He wanted to tell himself that he did the right thing, but deep in his heart he knows he’s at fault. He blames himself but cannot do anything. He’s too coward to admit his mistake and to face the imminent hatred from other members if they know what has actually happened.

Wonho does not actually know the accident, but he knows it was Minhyuk who caused the accident that made Kihyun blind because he’s been caring to Minhyuk who he considers as a dear friend to him.

Notice that Wonho is wearing a white top that does not belong to any set of clothes, and this scene doesn’t seem to fit with the plot. This is because this scene happens in Wonho’s mind. Wonho’s facing a dilemma. He has affection to Minhyuk but he knows what happens. He cannot stand for Minhyuk, because Kihyun is also a close friend for him. He wants to run away from the reality as well and pretend he knows nothing. However, eventually, he chooses to tell the truth for Monsta X sake.

Jooheon is another member who is really attentive to other members so he knows something is up. He does not confront Minhyuk directly but he wants to confirm it from Wonho, who he thinks knows Minhyuk better than him. Wonho has made up his mind. He revealed what happened. So Jooheon cannot hold his anger anymore. He comes to confront Minhyuk.

In the last picture, Shownu looks as if he is still in a very good term with Minhyuk. Maybe Minhyuk realizes that he feels the safest to talk to Shownu because Shownu is clueless. Shownu still trusts him completely.

When Jooheon confronts him, Minhyuk neither avoid nor dodge him. Deep in his heart he knows he’s wrong. He knows he’s a coward who deserves hatred and punishment. He’s been punished by the memory afterall. After knowing the truth, Shownu becomes mad too because someone who he trusts has lied to him and hurt one of his members, Minhyuk’s own friend. Shownu is the most patient among them, yet he lost his temper. This means, at that moment, Monsta X members are really angry at Minhyuk.

Minhyuk has no one now, he even hates himself too. Surprisingly, it is someone that he hurts who consoles him. It is as if Kihyun tells him “It’s not your fault. It is an accident. Both you and I were hurt. Don’t hate yourself.” Minhyuk cried because he has run from his responsibility, from reality. Kihyun has known all his lies but let him lie because he does not want to lose one member from Monsta X. Kihyun hides the truth. I think Minhyuk has avoided Kihyun since the accident happened, so he has never known that Kihyun has forgiven him. He continuously blames himself but have no courage to admit it. Finally he cried besides Kihyun because with Kihyun’s forgiveness, he finally can forgive himself too and does not need to withdraw from other members.

They finally unite again because their priority is Kihyun’s wellness. They prioritize their team above anything else. And because both Wonho and Minhyuk have resolved their problems: Wonho told the truth, Minhyuk forgave himeself.

Notice that the clothes in the first two pictures are the same as those they wear in the beginning of the MV. Finally they arrive at their destination. They all face the reality, the trauma that have haunted them and bravely try to find a way to solve their problem together.

This is when they try to help Kihyun. Dad Shownu and Hyungwon find lightsticks that will give mom Kihyun light. They realize that one lightstick isn’t enough, so they try to find more. Sons Jooheon and Changkyun are finding a place where they will set up the lightsticks. 

Minhyuk, Jooheon, Hyungwon and Changkyun accompany Kihyun until Kihyun falls asleep while Shownu and Wonho are setting up the lightsticks outside. They know that their accompaniment is the most important for Kihyun at this moment. Only after Kihyun sleeps do they leave him and join Shownu and Wonho outside.

When he’s awake, Kihyun realizes that the members have left him so he walks outside without any help. He realizes something.

He realizes that he can see the light that the members have prepared for him. So Kihyun isn’t afraid to remove his blindfold anymore. He’ll either accept that he’s blind because he has members’ support already, or find out that he’s not blind.

The question is, is Kihyun blind?

I quote this from Wikipedia: ‘The pupil gets wider in the dark but narrower in light.” 

The pupil becomes narrower. This means that Kihyun’s eyes react to the light! Kihyun isn’t blind. Kihyun is afraid of the reality he makes up in his mind. He thinks that the accident has hurt his eyes (indeed, he might be hurt at first which causes him to be unable to see, but that is not permanent blindness). He might have been healed when they were on travel, but he’s still too afraid. What members do is not finding the cure, but finding a way that can encourage Kihyun to open his blindfold as well as his eyes. The lightsticks are beautifully arranged like an iris, who won’t be touched by such effort?

THE END.

So what do you think about my theory? You can tell me @aegi_OH on Twitter