#mv analysis

[scotts-takes]

"Black Out See Saw" is the Climax Alkaloid Deserved

Top Songs from Enstars 2023 Number 1

I was blown away when the album art for Alkaloid was released a few months ago...

This art is such a sharp contrast from their first album art, that shows how they have grown. The basic military style unit outfits have been replaced with regal commander-style ones. The basic emotions that are shown in the original are now much more refined- in particular, Aira has evolved from someone simply happy to be on a stage to someone who is confident in his place on it, Mayoi is putting himself more in center, and Hiiro's confident smirk has become more stoic, as he now has the experience to go with his skills.

All of this went away, however, when we actually got the Alkaloid Climax song...

Sigh...it was the seasonal Halloween event for the year. Yes, the idea of incorporating hospital/illness and Tatsumi's relationship with it is an interesting story to tell...but Alkaloid deserved so much more, especially as the "Protagonists" for the !! era of Enstars. I was frustrated that the end of this era of Enstars for Alkaloid was wasted on a seasonal event, but was at least able to take solice in that Alkaloid gets 200 chapters of the main story dedicated to them, and we still had solo songs for each character to come from the album. December rolls around, and the album releases. After jumping through hoops to buy it, I throw my headphones on to give the album a listen. The first track, "DiZZineSS" is a weird 30 second preamble with no singing, not something I was expecting. However, it rolls directly into the first new song on the album

Bam

Black Out Sea Saw is a violent wall of sound, unlike anything else that has been done for Enstars before, and I can understand fans not liking it. The reason it sounds so different is because it was produced by TK of Ling Tosite Sigure, a 20+ year going Prog Rock group. I listened to the song 3 times before moving on, and waited for the MV release to come, as is usual with the "B" side track from Albums. And what we got was one of the most well constructed videos for Alkaloid fans, and the climax that I was looking for that wasn't provided by the Halloween song.

The video opens...strangly, especially if you haven't heard the song before. The opening is intentionally choppy and rough, almost like it was an unfinished song that still needed production. There is a weird reverb effect happening- which you can especially hear when Mayoi hits the high note, that led to a friend saying "it sounds like they recorded this in a bathroom or something". The other thing that really jumps out is how robotic and synchronized the movements of all 4 members are. This is a BIG deal. In just about every Alkaloid video, you can find little inconsistencies at various points- Aira is sometimes a bit slow to do something, Hiiro is sometimes a bit too fast, Tatsumi's movements are less athletic, etc. The robotic movements are all in perfect unison, especially at points where characters do things together, like make hand bridges. It's a sign of Alkaloid's growth as a unit- they started as a collection of rejects, and now they haver come together and become a great unit together.

As we go to the first chorus, the intensity of the song ramps up- it becomes FAST, yet every member is in perfect harmony. The dancing becomes more intense- and everyone stays perfect. And then we get to the final line "It's Error-Error", and things start to change- we start to see more finger movement, the motions become more flowing and less robotic (the robots are malfunctioning! error! error!), and more personality is shown by each member.

We then get a wonderful effect of feathers raining from the sky, before, and then we get to see everyone smile, including Hiiro with this soft and expressive look. (that I wish I was able to time slightly better when I took my screenshot!)

Why is this important? Lets take a look at the first Introduction of Hiiro, in his first close-up in Kiss of Life

It's a look of focus, of determination, and NOT one of joy. Hiiro NEVER smiles at any point in Kiss of Life except during the SPP- he maintains a focused look the entire time. Additionally, you can look at just about any Alkaloid video, and Hiiro rarely smiles- if anything, he just physically assaults the camera in every one of them! The final chapter of the main story is titled "Smile", which is a discussion between Hiiro and Rinne on what it means to be an idol, and Rinne telling Hiiro "Whenever I see you smile, it makes me smile too", with Hiiro responding that he will do whatever it takes to make people smile

Hiiro wasn't able to smile in Kiss of Life, as his focus was on putting smiles on the faces of others. It's weird, because when he isn't preforming, a smile is basically plastered on his face permanently. He has a very loud and infectious laugh, and he's just happy to be doing anything at any time. On stage, for him, its different. And Black Out Sea Saw is the first time that Hiiro is able to not just smile, but show kindness in it, as opposed to simple joy or excitement. It's a MASSIVE step forward for him- the kind of thing that, you know, you might build a Climax story around?

And then, we come to the end, where the intensity of the song does not let up, before it all crashes to an end as the lights go dark and Alkaloid go still

To me, this is the Alkaloid Climax, the song that I will remember. They have gone from a group thrown together to a cohesive unit with a sound unlike anyone else in the franchise, and all of whom have had character growth. It's the one that they deserve going into the new era that is upcoming, and even has a level of finality to it, seeing as how it was released right at the end of the year.

Alkaloid deserved better than Undying Holy Love, and boy, did they get it...

[weightedblankettt]

An Analysis on the Literature Girl Insane MV!

Hey! You might not know me that much, as I’m not active in the DRDTheory community, as I’ve dubbed it, but my name is Blanket! Technically, this is a work of collaboration between the majority of DRDT Twitter, but it’s mainly just an analysis of stuff I couldn’t do by myself.

Okay, and now, onto the video!

So we start off with the spoiler warning. Pretty standard stuff, of course.

Many of my theories beginning here will be based on the colors and what I, personally, associate them with. Of course, the actual MV’s contents will be looked at further down the line. 

As a bonus, take note of what pops up right after that. It’s a question: Do you want to forgive... someone? We’ll answer this question later on in the theories section.

These are mainly just lyrics, but the “final verdict” part catches my eye, as I believe it isn’t in the lyrics further down the line. Perhaps it’s about the current trial? As many people believe, David did not kill Arei. His reasons for lying about doing so are unknown, but we can assume that the singer is calling the listeners idiots, because of their incorrect final verdict. Whatever David wants to do, it’s certainly not leading them to the right one.

Next, these lyrics. While I believe it’s fairly obvious that the pink is meant to represent the typical Danganronpa-esque color of their blood, the color that the word “game” is in is probably relates to David. After all, his hair clips and star eyes, both prominent features of his “facade”, are in the same color.

Here is where the most prominent part of the MV is, to me. The text that flashes across the screen during transition points. The first one, in white text, is an excerpt from Osamu Dazai’s “The Flowers of Buffoonery.” The book, while I’ll spare you the greater details, greatly describes themes of suicide. The story’s main protagonist, Yozo Oba, can be described as so: “-But the narrator, a self-conscious writer, makes frequent first-person asides, breaking the fourth wall as he comments on the quality or believability of the novel he is writing.” 

Something especially telling is this line, from an analysis of Yozo’s character. “Yozo is a person characterized by shame. Although I pretend to be someone who is confident and unabashedly themselves, that is not really true. I have always been ashamed of who I really am. I created a whole persona to interact with others because I believed my true self would never be enough.”

David’s character is someone very similar to that. Someone who has created a false persona to interact with others. Yozo is someone who feels resentful of other people, simply because he is forced to make them happy. “Yozo Oba is the tortured author and unreliable narrator of the three notebooks that comprise the bulk of No Longer Human. [That is the sequel to The Flowers of Buffoonery.] His appearance is depicted in three photographs examined by an unnamed narrator in the Prologue. These three photographs correspond to his appearance in each of the three notebooks. As a child, Yozo is precocious by design—an impish child who uses his antics to hide his fear, shame, and inability to relate to humanity. These fundamental flaws carry over into young adulthood; in the second notebook, he is a handsome young man whose smiling photograph lacks humanity, betraying the depth of terror and isolation that his comical persona seeks to hide. In the third photograph and notebook, he is only 27, but his gray hair and forgettable appearance prevent him from being labeled an ordinary human being.”

The quotes in yellow are from Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express.” The full quote reads as follows. "If you confront anyone who has lied with the truth, they usually admit it – often out of sheer surprise. It is only necessary to guess right to produce your effect." I think the relevancy of this line in terms of David can be explained with his actions so far. Fun fact: Similarly to Danganronpa, “Murder on the Orient Express” is a murder mystery. 

This is just a rickroll. DRDTDev thinks that they are FUNNY!? (They are.)

The “an archaic personal pronoun rarely used in real life, but popularized in fiction by the book” is most likely referring to thou/thy/etc. I’m not sure what this correlates to, but it’s probably important. I couldn’t find the green text, but from what I can tell, the green text probably relates to David’s nihilistic point of view towards humanity. Update: Bleuflower on Tumblr has located the source to be I Am A Cat by Natsume Soseki, so go check her out for that! If I had to say anything about that, it’d probably be relating to MonoTV, however, there’s also a continuation of David’s nihilism towards humanity that was also found in the Osamu Dazai references. The book itself is described as a “mordantly comic evocation of Sōseki's deep pessimism about his own humanity and indeed about humankind in general.”

The white text here is an excerpt from Osamu Dazai’s “No Longer Human,” which follows the same protagonist as “The Flowers of Buffoonery.” I’m sure you can all gather what that means in relation to David, but the main point is that he seems detached from his view of “normalcy.” @shidoutism on Twitter had this to say, as they’ve read the book itself: “OKOK so basically this first excerpt is from 'no longer human' by osamu dazai (its his last finished work because dazai sadly took his own life after publication of the book) now from the limited knowledge i have of david the meaning and message of the book might help in whatever analysis ur doing?? no longer human is about a man who never felt like he understood humans. like the title suggests, he never felt like a person. its revealed the protag was pretty sheltered and rich in childhood but experienced trauma from the familys housekeepers, but he never reported it. thats basically the start of it all as the protag grows up, he finds fear in communicating with humans. so he ends up either isolating himself and/or destroying all of his relationships with people. he's scared of people seeing the real him, so ever since he was a child he started putting up a happy, cheerful front. but it just creeped some ppl out bc it didn't feel genuine, it was more like a clown wanting to so badly entertain others. the protag starts resorting to bad coping mechanisms such as dr/gs and alc/hol and has many relationships with women to drown his sorrows and feel closer to being 'a human'. aaand the end of the book is kinda unsettling as the protag is sent to a rehab center and then when released, isolated himself somewhere far away without people, stating "everything passes. thats the one thing i learned in this living hell [somewhere along those lines]" and the book ends numbly like it feels like nothing”

I don’t know about you, but this sounds rather similar to our “protagonist.”

This quote is from “The Setting Sun”, by, you guessed it, Osamu Dazai. It tells a similar story, albeit with a different protagonist, but I feel like this ties in more with his facade, and how his inspirational speaking comes off to other people. Considering he is in his facade at this time of the MV, it’s safe to say that that’s what this is referring to.

And now, this all falls into place. These are the names of the Osamu Dazai books referenced in the text beforehand. The (I’m), next to No Longer Human, however, could signify how David views himself. Someone so sunken into depravity that they don’t register themselves as human anymore.

The faded text here is the first sentence of Yasunari Kawabata’s “Snow Country”. I don’t know what this refers to in terms of David, but this also seems important.

David still views himself as manipulative. Even if he does love people, even if he does have a semblance of care for those in his life, he views himself as an evil, irredeemable sack of shit, incapable of any emotion other than selfishness and cruelty.

This part is especially intriguing to me. David still wants to live, as anyone else does, but he can’t bring himself to find a reason to leave. His career is dead. He’s worthless, and nobody needs him around. Where would he go? There’s no room for him anywhere, even if he escaped, he’d just be shunned for good now that his entire life has been thrown away. 

The excerpt from “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie, describes someone losing motivation to leave the island. The island is a metaphor for the building, that the students are trapped inside, and David has lost the will to leave in the first place. He doesn’t want to leave, because there’s nowhere else for him to even go. He doesn’t have a home. He doesn’t have a fanbase. There’s nothing left.

The text here reads: “If you’re Hythlodaeus, then I must be Morus.” This refers to the work “Utopia”, written by Thomas More. The book follows Raphael Hythlodaeus, a man who claims to be from Utopia, a perfect place for everyone. His surname quite literally means “Bringer of Nonsense,” or something along those lines. While this may be a stretch, I believe that “Hythlodaeus” is referring to Pre-Reveal David, and “Morus” could possibly be either Post-Reveal David or someone affected by his speeches, for example Xander.

Also, I find it interesting how the girl in this frame, most likely David’s “sister,” Diana, and David himself are both tilting their heads at similar angles. It’s possible that their relation is hinted at through this, but I’m not sure.

The excerpt right here is from Kajii Motojiro’s entry in the Kyoto Journal, entitled “Lemon”. While some of the text has been altered, the main story is about a man who finds himself suffering, and walks through his neighbourhood only to find a greengrocer selling lemons. He goes home, and finds himself happier than before. I’m not sure what this means when it comes to David, however if you’d like, you can analyze for yourself and let me know.

https://www.kyotojournal.org/fiction-poetry/lemon/

This part doesn’t have any external references, but I believe that the lyrics here reinforce David’s worldview, that no matter what you do and how hard you try, “nobody ever changes.”

The star imagery here is a direct reference to David. Stars are representative of his happy facade, and when he loses the stars, he quits the bullshit. 

…And this frame. Alright, let’s start from the top. The electrocution definition is a callback to Xander, who’s referenced quite a few times in the video. The yellow text, which is from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s “The Little Prince”, is possibly a reference to David’s view on other people or himself- That nobody is special unless you were born special. However, the end of the text describes that if the boy were to tame the fox, the speaker, that they would need each other. I’m not sure if this is a description of manipulation, or a codependent relationship, but the David parallels are there. That, and the title of a “little prince” probably refers to David and how he’s idolized by many. The green text is, again, from “The Flowers of Buffoonery.” The full text is as follows. “A man crushed by reality puts on a show of endurance. If that's beyond your comprehension, dear reader, then you and I will never understand each other. Life's a farce, so we might as well make it a good one. But real life is a realm that I may never reach. The best that I can hope for is to loiter in the memory of these four days, so steeped with empathy. Four days that count more than

five or ten years of my life. Four days that count more than a lifetime.”

In reference to David, this is more representative of his true feelings. Not the asshole persona or the facade, but the genuine feelings he has. He already feels far too gone by his own standards, and constantly puts on a “show” for other people in the form of his speeches. 

The red text is possibly a person dealing with depression speaking on one of their symptoms. There’s no way I could find a source for such a short quote. A common symptom of depression is losing interest in things you previously found enjoyable.

The white text on the side describes someone who finds pleasure in solitude as opposed to being bossed around by other people. It’s a reference to David’s backstory, as someone who was pressured into putting on a performance for others, finding comfort in being alone rather than having to play pretend whenever around other people.

The white text at the bottom is a continuation of the white text at the top.

The only theory I can think of for this is that it’s a foreshadowing to either gaps in their memory or the amount of survivors left in the killing game being four. Not sure.

Update: I don’t know how I missed this, but the “11” next to the suspicious gaps refers to this. It’s possible that the suspicious gaps are gaps in their memory now, being as he doesn’t remember having an older sister, but her existence is most likely confirmed, as we saw her. 

This part here is referring to “Catch 22,” when the main character realizes that without a soul, humans are just… matter, if you will. Empty husks.

For this part, I had to call upon my not-so-trustworthy old friend, Google Translate! The translation of this from Latin is “I think, therefore I am (not.)” That’s what makes the most sense to me. We’ll refer back to this part later, for I have a different intention for it in my mind than David himself.

The dark blue text is another excerpt from “The Little Prince.” The prince in question is talking to a castaway, and the main takeaway of his words is that only your heart can tell you what you really need. If you were to simply look with your eyes, then what you truly need would be drowned out by the blinding light of superficial desires. I’m pretty sure that’s what that means. David is looking through his eyes, seeing a cruel world where nobody changes unless they were born to.

Now, let’s get into the next big part of the MV: The crossword puzzle. You might be wondering how this relates to David, but its moreso his own commentary on his classmates. Let’s go back to the latin. Pay attention to this reference of the solved crossword by raspbeyes on Tumblr. It will be very important for you to follow along.

Notice how there’s roman numerals in some of David’s lyrics? For example, this that we established earlier meant “I think therefore I am (not.)” This is referring to Rose. Her photographic memory can be linked to the description of “thinking.” The context of this may become clearer in future parts of the story. 

III. That’s Charles. “If you doubt brittle things are broken.” Is, in my mind, referring to his memories. He has a recurring element of not remembering things, but he doesn’t seem to be aware of this until Chapter 2. For example, his secret- “Your older brother died, but you don’t remember him at all.”

IV. Arei. Her breakdown sequence should be all you need to associate this with her.

V. This is Ace. He’s going insane, obviously, because of the paranoia and failed murder attempt against him. That, and he’s become more disheveled as the game progressed.

XIV. Veronika, correct? Substance to the arts relates to her talent as a Horror Fanatic. Naturally, she’d be related to things like that.

XV. Whit’s refusal to accept his mother’s death, staying ignorant to the tragedies around him, is one of the “happiest” members of the cast.

XI. Mai Akasaki is not mentioned in the current story, and all of her quotes hidden amongst the cast members describe her in past tense. She was someone everyone viewed as reliable, trustworthy, and perhaps, if you exaggerated it, as God.

These two walls of text are both from the same source: Hamlet’s Solliloquy of “To Be, or Not to Be?”

This is what the thing actually means, in case you aren’t aware, which even I wasn’t until just now. It represents David’s suicidal ideology, from what we can assume with the way he’s trying to get everyone to vote wrong in the trial for Arei, quite well. Whether he wants to live, or die, is most likely a constant struggle for David to answer.

Which is why he leaves it up to… whoever can answer.

This is an absolute reference to the trial. The class trial rules are overlaid over the death portrait texture, which is “conveniently” covering David’s face. The seventeen here is also telling, considering what the description has to say about it!

This is what I believe is David’s end goal. To get everyone executed as a result of his own hopelessness. By pretending to be the killer and antagonizing the class, he believes he can easily sway the votes by “manipulating the public” as he always believes he’s done. By getting everyone to vote for him, he can end the killing game and his own “pathetic life” in one fell swoop.

After all, it’s not like he believes they have a chance of winning and escaping in the first place.

And here, is where we left off in Episode 11. David completely drops his facade in order to effectively kill himself, along with everyone else. After realizing the hopelessness of his situation, he makes a drastic turn to accept it readily. Someone who self-sabotages continues to do so because they develop a warped perspective of having control.

And again referring to the description, the 12 near the “Tallying Votes” caption refers to this. It’s David’s way of justifying his selfishness, with a diluted form of justice serving as an “ultimately fair verdict to the trial.” 

However, David has always wanted to be loved. It’s why he even bothers with his facade, because he’s been putting it up for so long that disregarding his persona would effectively ruin everything he’s worked so hard to maintain in the first place. The repeated imagery of applause could also be a callback to his status as a celebrity, especially with how he reacted to Xander and Arei’s reliance on him.

While this does have a small fade of text pointing out that the “degraded copy” is the cover, which is not true because the MV is amazing, but. I believe this–

Oh. That’s literally it. Well, that makes one mystery solved!

Hey, look, we’re already halfway through! nice! Eden’s optimistic personality can be referenced here. She wants to live with everyone, together, and make sure that nobody gets hurt. 

This is another reference to David’s rambling on about how attempting to change is utterly futile, and that nobody changes. 

The yellow text is the definition of a television show, I believe. The blue text is an excerpt from “And Then There Were None,” by Agatha Christie. The full quote is this: “Breakfast was a curious meal. Everyone was very polite…. Six people, all outwardly self-possessed and normal. And within? Thoughts that ran round in a circle like squirrels in a cage…. ‘What next? What next? Who? Which?’...” …Do you get it? It’s a parallel to the killing game. Or, rather, how David views it. Everyone is terrified and scared for their lives, but they still greet eachother with mock kindness.

The blue text on the side is an excerpt from Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.”, and it goes like this: “I am in blood / Stepped in so far, that, should I wade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go o'er.” A critical analysis of the original work reads as follows: Shakespeare is saying here that Macbeth has involved himself in so many murders that it is as easy for him to carry on than to turn back. Macbeth compares his course of action with wading across a river of blood, creating a vivid image of his bloody reign. The word 'tedious' reveals the hardening of Macbeth's heart.

And now, the moment I’m sure most of you have been waiting for. Xander. Something I took notice of was that the cracks line up directly with his left eye, while his right eye is the one that’s actually missing in the game. Nonetheless, Xander clearly did mean something to David. Whether it be through his idolization of David, or if he inspired David in some way, his death had an impact on him. Manipulative persona or not. 

XVI translates to Hu from the crossword puzzle. He’s taunting her, similarly to how he did in the trial, although the ??? makes me wonder if it actually IS David…

XII, that’s Eden. I assume it’s because of her optimistic persona that she is standing in someone’s way, although we’re not sure who. 

For the next part, let’s say we take this at face value. It could definitely be referencing David allegedly pushing Arei to commit suicide, although this could also be something he internalizes, with the themes of suicide and wishing to be dead explored previously.

These are all repeats of the previous works included in the MV, like The Little Prince, Ozamu Dazai’s series, Agatha Christie’s works, etc etc.

Now, this is code, I’m assuming, but I tried translating it and couldn’t find anything. It’s a common encryption language. In case you want to translate it, it’s: 3aqxw97pktc8uki458fbdpfoacllex2f07bf8mg24b4mpfx2adc6v3f5yhxjd8i7sf11312zaj5lazet47jod5jczec5mvb6bz2o59r143sf2pe916sczcn7emvbl55ehe9iqb2708tt83482c8tw3c77gn47ojca634gbcfz0016s647wwlakcn46brcle0eam9

NOTE: @glorywelpchild on Twitter says… “For this, it may have been encrypted multiple times by different engines? I'm not a programmer so I'm not really familiar lmao. Another thing, it could be a type of programming the dev knows/commonly uses.”

The VI here is Arturo, but I don’t know what this means. Perhaps the description can give us some insight?

Hmm… Well, I don’t mind. Whatever you say.

Nico’s number is VIII, and this is referring to the defense they put up when asked about their intentions against Ace’s life. They claim they never thought about it, and “even if they try to think, they don’t know.”

This is Levi’s, as per the IX. 

I actually managed to find the original image in the background. It’s a study on Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9’s orbit around Jupiter for several years before crashing into the planet. While the name, Shoemaker Levy, may be a play on Levi’s name, I believe this is also referencing that he may die soon. Maybe this is a stretch, but the symbolism of a comet named “Shoemaker Levy” crashing into Jupiter being right under a symbol that represents Levi, our prime suspect in a game where being caught results in death, is too far to be a coincidence. Part of my theory for Chapter 2 is that Levi is the blackened, after all, but that is in a previous post. Nonetheless, we can move on.

This is “Enterance of the Gladiators.” While it is now associated with silly things like clowns, it was originally a military march song. Hmm, where have I heard this description before?

Ah, that’s right! In the description!

These two are relatively straightforward. The David we meet in the prologue is his facade, and it serves as an introduction. However, we are re-introduced to him with a whole personality change, and that comes delayed from all the others.

This is a direct reference to MonoTV and the throne in the trial room.

The truth bullets. Typical Danganronpa symbolism, and it’s also a neat little reference to Xander’s custom weapon.

References to some of the students. The dresser is Levi, the bowl of fruit is Rose, the gun is Xander, the teapot is Hu, and the candle is maybe J?

The clock is Eden, the portrait, maybe a reference to the game? The stupid kid’s toy might be Whit.

Teruko and Mai. Teruko’s misfortune and Mai’s idealization are both key parts of their characters.

The gavel, another reference. The kitchen knife, Min. The skull, Veronika. The mirror… Possibly Xander because we’ve seen him with broken glass earlier in the MV, but it might be David and his personas making another reference.

The mastermind, sitting atop their comfortable chair.

The noose is Arei, the gas mask is Charles, the mouse is Nico, the theater mask… Perhaps the mastermind again, or Veronika again. The safe is David’s locked away and suppressed emotions. These are all mainly theories based on observation, don’t take it as the wholehearted truth.

David being mentioned again with the hair clips. The lemon has been brought up beforehand, it’s a callback to the journal entry. The dummies represent David’s detachment from his humanity, and the television is a callback to the fact that they’re on a television show.

David views himself as a snake, a liar, a murderer. Snakes are common imagery to use when referring to the Devil as well. The blood is a callback to the killing game itself.

Either a reference to Min, or the fact that all the books are empty could be visual dramatization of David’s feelings. There’s supposed to be something in them, but the books are empty. The “various kinds” could also be how many personas he puts on, if that’s a prominent part of his backstory.

The killing game is being broadcasted, so that counts as terrorist iconography, if nothing else. Dandelions, while beautiful in their own way, don’t belong in a garden. The megaphone is David’s custom weapon, and it’s a way for him to broadcast his speeches to those around the world.

The letters are from the joke comic that the dev released. You know the one, where Xander writes a letter for David and he accidentally throws it away thinking that it’s garbage. The popular toy refers to the commercializing of the Tragedy, as Veronika explained on the first day of Chapter 2. How horror movies will put black-and-white designs in their films to up the fear factor because of the subliminal/primal fear of the design back in the days of the Tragedy. The flowers… No idea.

This is cleverly disguised, but it’s a reference to the debate between continuing to live and killing yourself. To be or not to be, to stop or to keep going, but they’re both lit up. How are you to do both at the same time? You have to make a choice.

Main Roles are David and Xander. It makes sense, considering they both have full-body moments and we know who they are. The crossed out name is Mai Akasaki, but the cut off name is a bit harder to decipher. Thanks to some inspiration and help, I’ve come to my final conclusion regarding this.

They are related to Arei, 100%. The letters match perfectly.

Even in comparison to Arei, the “N” in her name starts only a bit earlier, but that’s because the first word is probably only two or three letters, in comparison to the four letters in Arei.

Originally, I couldn’t translate any of these. All I could make out was that the first hand was Xander and the second hand was Min or Mai. However. @MAHIRUMILGRAM on twitter managed to translate them! They are as follows:

After this point, the truth bullet breaks through David’s words, similarly to how Teruko is fighting against David, despite the truth bullet being in agreement towards David’s idea.

There’s also this, which could be David trying to deflect us from the truth, or that the lyrics genuinely don’t relate to him. I’m leaning towards the former.

The white text at the top here is from a story, entitled “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.” It is about a beautiful city where everyone is happy. However, their city is not as beautiful as it seems. They tell the story of how the townspeople have locked a child in a basement, and left it to suffer. Their happiness, as they’ve been told, requires a sacrifice. “Inside the room, which is behind a locked door, there are a couple of dirty mops, a bucket, and a young child. The child is ten years old, but looks younger. The child is scared and completely miserable. It is never allowed to leave the room. Occasionally, someone opens the door and kicks the child to make it stand up. The person fills the food bowl halfway with corn meal and grease, fills the water jug, and leaves. The child can remember what the outside world looks like and begs and pleads to be let out. The child is naked and covered in sores, and it wails at night in its misery. The people of Omelas all know about the child in the basement. They all understand that everything good about Omelas, from their abundance of food to the good weather, depends upon the suffering of the child. They all understand this because when children are between the ages of eight and twelve, they are brought to see the child, and this tradeoff is explained to them. During this experience, the children of Omelas are disgusted. They want to help, but they are told they can’t. If anyone helps the child by clothing, feeding, or otherwise caring for it, then the perfect happiness of Omelas and its abundance would die. Therefore, no one may even speak kindly to the child.” I wanted to include this because it describes David so well. Someone who has been cast away because they’re deemed useless to society, someone who’s happiness would destroy the happiness of anyone else. I find the story truly fascinating, as it might describe David’s suppressed emotions and the depressive tendencies he indulges himself in.

“Their tears at the bitter injustice dry when they begin to perceive the terrible justice of reality, and to accept it. Yet it is their tears and anger, the trying of their generosity and the acceptance of their helplessness, which are perhaps the true source of the splendor of their lives. Theirs is no vapid, irresponsible happiness. They know that they, like the child, are not free.”

“How you have felt, O men of Athens, at hearing the speeches of my accusers, I cannot tell; but I know that their persuasive words almost made me forget who I was—such was the effect of them; and yet they have hardly spoken a word of truth [alēthēs]. But many as their falsehoods were, there was one of them which quite amazed me—I mean when they told you to be upon your guard, and not to let yourselves be deceived by the force of my eloquence. They ought to have been ashamed of saying this, because they were sure to be detected as soon as I opened my lips and displayed my deficiency; they certainly did appear to be most shameless in saying this, unless by the force of eloquence they mean the force of truth [alēthēs]; for then I do indeed admit that I am eloquent. But in how different a way from theirs! Well, as I was saying, they have hardly uttered a word, or not more than a word, of truth [alēthēs]; but you shall hear from me the whole truth [alēthēs]: not, however, delivered after their manner, in a set oration duly ornamented with words and phrases.”

Do you remember, in the prologue, where Xander describes the “rumors” against David’s positive front? This is a direct parallel. Here, Socrates denounces the words of his attackers, similarly to how nobody truly believes the rumors except for the critics themselves. Even Xander was fooled by his charisma.

“Was't Hamlet wrong'd Laertes? Never Hamlet: If Hamlet from himself be ta'en away, And when he's not himself does wrong Laertes, 240 Then Hamlet does it not, Hamlet denies it. Who does it, then? His madness: if't be so, Hamlet is of the faction that is wrong'd; His madness is poor Hamlet's enemy.”

Hamlet blames his own insanity for the death of Laertes’ father. Just like David tries to get everyone killed, and blames himself for murdering Arei, because of his own insanity.

This is a line from the poem “Be Not Defeated by The Rain,” by Kenji Miyazawa. It describes a man wishing to become someone strong, someone who cannot be bested. I believe this is exactly what David wants, too. To be as strong and as hopeful as he is forced to pretend to be, instead of a hopeless mess who would rather die than be seen as worthless.

David reaches the height of his insanity, before finally quieting down after being basked in green light. I don’t know if this was intentional, but I believe that it represents how he’s given up on even death after the students manage to vote correctly, hence the green coloring.

And now, number 19.

I severely doubt that David will actually die in Chapter 3. That is not “foreshadowing,” that is just giving out the answer, and DRDTDev is much more careful than that. I believe this is a final representation of David’s suicidal ideologies. He says he will forget, he says guilt will not weigh him down, but he’s lying to himself. That’s why the stars are still behind him, because he’s still lying. He says he is satisfied, he says he’s okay with death, but when has David ever been truthful with us?

And he leaves an empty throne behind. Not because he is dead, but because he has relinquished his career and his reputation for nothing.

Even though he is missing, nothing else has changed. That is how he views his life.

And that concludes the main analysis of David’s MV! It’s such a beautiful thing, really, I don’t know how to phrase any of it properly. Thank you to everyone who’s read this far, and everyone who helped me out. The decoding and puzzles? Ah, I’ll let you all do that… But, maybe I can help a little! Blanket, out~! See you all next time!

[alarrylarrie]

The tightrope he walks. The hall of mirrors that changes his image, depending on your perspective. He’s a strong man, but are those weights legit? Yeah it’s a circus, but it’s fun, he’s having fun!

The metaphors!!! It’s such an incredible insight into another view he has of his fame. Basically the foil of MFASR’s message. So good.

[caralara]

Music For A Sushi Restaurant is a big FUCK YOU to the Music Industry

Okay okay okay, I watched it and I felt the holy gay spirit overcome me, give me the energy and focus to do what I procrastinate forever on to do for my uni papers: write an analysis. Guess my studies are coming in handy after all! Kindly be reminded that, with all art analysis, this is subjective and your interpretation of it is as valid as mine <3

Let’s take a look at the characters first.

Characters

Squidrry: Harry plays the mermaid version of himself - we don’t know the backstory, but we know he got stranded on a beach and has a squid tail in place of legs. Who does that remind us of? Ah, yes, his mermaid tattoo: that beauty though has her whole vulva out, making her definitively female, which is interesting because mermaids often symbolise genderlessness and genderqueerness (mermaidsuk.org.uk), and in the case of his tattoo it could be interpreted as genderqueerness with special emphasis on femininity. The little mermaid is also clearly referenced - Harry has referenced her before wearing the shirt printed with “But Daddy I love him!” on the front and “this shirt will make you look gay” on the inside. Some elements from the storyline are also picked up in this music video: losing her voice, getting manipulated into contracts...

The Discoverer: it’s the guy who finds Harry on the beach, seizes him up and immediately recognises his worth. He pulls up his phone and calls just the guy who knows how to make this fish into money. Almost like an A&R guy.

The Manager: he seems to be owning Gill’s bar. He is the one who makes the decisions as to what to do with Harry, and he also seems to have a “soft spot” for Harry, or what I would call: a fetish. He obsesses over Harry’s tail, yet he thinks the real selling point is Harry’s voice. 

The Handler: he’s the manager’s dogsbody, he does everything to his bidding. He does all the dirty work, from crushing crabs to caring for Harry. He seems to be somewhat disgusted by Harry and his other-ness.

The Woman: she is in the background most of the time, does similar jobs as the Handler, but seems to be higher up than him. She almost seems like a prop, as she does not have a proper characterisation besides being there.

The Boy: is young, handsome and wears shiny clothes. 

The Crowd: a diverse group of people that are not necessarily very entertained by Harry’s performance

Let’s go through the music video scene by scene

Shots

When The Discoverer finds Harry, he towers over the viewer, showing he’s in control & he object he looks at is at his mercy. He sees that Harry is something special, but what he sees is only the way he looks, his other-ness, not his talent. He hasn’t heard him sing yet. Interestingly, Harry is fully bearded (lol) when they find him. Is this a reference to him right now? Or is this simply a tool to show he’s been at sea for a long time (Eroda continued)?

Next we see a red crab. Is this a dig at duplishitty and the whole Sebastian drama some months ago? I remember tons of Ariel memes at the time when Harry’s character turned out to be actually called Sebastian and the larries dragged that fic through the mud all over twitter. It was glorious. Ergo a dig at hetharries’ image of him? Don’t ruin my fantasy? Your fantasy is our #1 priority?

Then we see a dirtyass industrial kitchen: it is grimey, stuff happens here that the people who enjoy their meals do not want to know about - just like in the music industry. If the people knew how bad it gets behind the literal curtain - would they still be as happy throwing their money at it? As soon as they get the call, the engine starts: the well oiled machinery of the music industry

everything is documented right from the beginning in flashing snapshots: Harry’s discovery on the beach, where he gets ‘made’ into who he will be the kitchen, closeup of what makes him special (his tail), meeting all the important people in this world. Everyone wants to be in the shot showing off their catch (the Manager at his tail, showing it off, the Woman close to his head (stunting? or maybe AnnMarie from PR who doubled as their mental health counselor, whispering into his ear?)). Is the Kitchen The X-Factor, where he proves himself and wraps them all around his finger with his siren voice? There he sees what they’re doing to the ones that are like him but don’t stand out: they’re violently cut up, produced into quick money. It is a literal competition to survive - almost like the auditions.

The crew is almost scared or weirded out at first but also entranced - Harry distracts them while he surprises them with showing up behind him or next to them, catching them off guard while taking everything in with wide eyes: he’s a quick learner, he soaks up how this world works immediately. Then the handler gets him with a bribe of fish: they dangle it in front of his face, and it’s what he wants.

As soon as he takes the bait it transitions to him performing in the venue itself. We see him with cut hair and a fancy robe, showing the Manager and Handler what he can offer. Is this Harry having to prove himself, again, as a solo artist with HS, now that he’s performing in the actual venue, where there will be eventually an audience? Or is this still proving himself with One Direction?

We see a montage of them making him feel like a star, accommodate his otherness, his tail, in a way that he truly feels like a star, and there’s so much glitter everywhere, making everything sparkly. Very interesting here: the towels they use to hydrate his tail, the thing that makes him so interesting and enticing, to keep it healthy and happy, are blue green = could be that he feels that at first they humoured Larry Stylinson - until 2012 it was not a problem and they even used the “bromance” for marketing - until they don’t anymore. While Harry’s eyes and ears are  plugged “for his own good” to relax and be distracted, you can see the handler starting to resent Harry for having to take care of Harry’s weird tail, and if he doesn’t check on him he stops actually taking care of it. In the meantime, the Manager is weirdly obsessed with the tail. Harry starts to wear a pearl necklace - the pearl is a widely recognised symbol of genderquerness (the oyster, that produces the pearl changes its sex at least once in its lifetime, usually start out male and become female).

again, everything is documented in snapshots: Harry and how the people around him feed him and take care of him

Harry becomes accustomed to the lifestyle and acts like a diva - or does he? He asks for tea which he uses to gargle, taking care of the one thing he knows is keeping him alive: his voice. He has the Manager give him a manicure while sitting in the women’s dressing room, a little white women’s chemise hung up behind him on the wall ready for him to slip into. He starts wearing sunglasses: he is shielding himself more, and he wears even more pearls, they’re on the sunglasses too now. He becomes more flamboyantly genderqueer and has the Manager help him express it? There’s even more pearly waiting for him to be worn on the table in front of him. More, more, more pearls!

He doesn’t like the music they want him to sing. But the music video synchronises with the song just in that moment and has Harry say: “whatever you want” - even though he doesn’t like the songs he will sing them, because that’s what the manager wants - and otherwise he might end up dead. In return he wears even bigger feathery gowns and boas. Pearl sunglasses are a thing now. He has glitter confetti in his hair. He is fabulous.

even though it makes it look like he’s treated like a diva, he’s still in the dingy diner with loads of filing boxes. These boxes over boxes are filled with - contracts? He is with The Discoverer in this scene. Is this Simon?

the Manager takes care of him in order to make money off of him, literally grooms him and enjoys lubing up his tail a little too much - there’s a shot that focuses on the wedding band he wears on his finger. The way the mv is shot, there is a broad sexualisation of Harry’s tail, constantly filling the frame, lubed up, glistening, primed = Harry gets sexualised, his most sexual, peculiar features on display all the time to get more people interested and enticed. And although the Handler sees that the Manager fetishises Harry’s tail, he doesn’t say anything, only judges. 

soon, Harry has dark circles underneath his eyes that he treats with patches. He is tired? Exhausted? But keeps going while becoming more impatient with everyone around him.

Another round of snapshots: food/seeing what happens to people like him that don’t stay relevant (they get chopped up and eaten), there’s beer & drinks, pretty surroundings like the coral throne for him, and a prawn dangles from string: more bribe? It’s always in front of him, even when performing

then he is finally on stage: he’s happy, wearing a pearl crown and is loaded with pearl necklaces, sings into the microphone and does his iconic whale. It’s where he’s happy. But there’s a close up shot of his birdcage tattoo = he’s still trapped and caged.

There’s a closeup of two cherries in a martini glass: Cherry, Stunts, Alcohol? Both are parts of the world he’s living in: the show biz.

when he’s performing in front of the audience, the people are not super into the performance, the ones the Manager so excitedly wants to sell Harry to don’t care too much about him or his performance, just want to watch the peculiar creature writhe. There’s a disparity between what the Manager thinks the audience want and what the Crowd actually want. The Boy asks to touch his tail (= his most sexualised feature), and Harry slaps him for it. Did people want to have Harry and he never gave himself away like that?

more snapshots: of credit cards in cash machines and cash: the Manager makes a lot of money off of Harry, the way he rejects the Boy, his performance, the musicians, him singing - it all gets documented every step of the way.

At the height of his career, his voice leaves - a nightmare coming true. The lights turn off and it gets cold, as soon as he can’t offer what the Manager thinks is profitable (his voice), his previously praised feature (his tail, his otherness) won’t save him. The Woman gets ready to dice him by sharpening her knife - she’ll take him down, too. The Handler will help cooking him, no questions asked, no emotions shown.

The Manager actually reminisces about him Harry and misses him, even though he gave the go to kill him and make him into sushi: he doesn’t see that he was the one to make the decision and instead blames the market / capitalism. Still fetishises him in retrospect: he doesn’t actually miss Harry, but what value he had for him: profit and getting his fetish satisfied (he’s swirling his fingers in the vaseline). 

Even of the process of destroying him they try to squeeze out a last little profit which they document in snapshots

I think it is an incredibly interesting choice of Harry’s to set this whole music industry metaphor in a dingy little diner lounge instead of the flashy, beautiful world that is usually chosen to show just how enticing show biz is. He isn’t trying to justify why he fell for the bait, he is way past that - he wants to remind us that behind all the glitter and beautiful lights, it is a dingy, creepy shithole. He also didn’t choose to have a beautiful, shimmery fish tail, the way we love seeing on mermaids, and have also been sexualised with their curves and the way they move, but a squishy, slimey squid tail - it’s supposed to intrigue the viewer just as much as it did the Crew and the Crowd with a little bit of disgust. Which, again, is incredibly interesting and telling as to how Harry sees his “otherness,” and - let me go out on a limb here - his queerness perceived. It also means that he cannot move around in this world just as he is - he has to be helped, carried, hauled, driven by the people around him: in this case, his Handler and Manager and Discoverer. He is dependent if he wants to survive in that world (the music industry).

 Most of the characters in this music video are men - they are all after profit, and the main trait of every single character is that they very evidently just don’t care about anything except money (profit) and sex (fetish).

It is a very clear condemnation of what the music industry is like even if you look only a little closer. 

I love that he doesn’t show himself as the Saint Victim, while still (thank god) recognising he was and is indeed a victim of the profit machine - he shows how much he likes getting pampered and enjoys the lifestyle, acting a little diva (although I would take that with a shovel of salt - Harry is known to be unfairly hard on himself and self deprecating). It still seems to be though how he sees himself there.

Another note worthy part is the audience. To me, it shows the disparity between what the Manager character thinks the crowd wants and what the crowd actually wants. And the best (and most sad) part is: neither of them are better. The Manager thinks it’s his voice and performance, while he’s privately fetishising his tail, while the audience just wants to watch something happen, in that moment a weird person with a squid tail singing, the next day said squidperson being chopped up and served to them as sushi. They’re there for the spectacle, not the person. So neither of them are good - and it makes me sad to think that’s how Harry perceives his audiences (is he wrong, though? At least about the majority of his fans?)

I also adore just how fully packed the whole music video is with his genderqueerness. You literally cannot ignore it - from being a trans symbol itself to the accumulation of mountains of pearls to the women’s clothes to him being in the women’s dressing room. If you don’t see it by now I really can’t help you.

To me, this is such a power move - he shows just how horrible these people have been in the name of the profit, the way they see themselves (nostalgic, missing their abuse victim?!) and at the same time show them for who they really are: sad little grimey dingey people in some shithole etablissement. 

I cannot tell you with how pleased I am with this music video - Sushi for a Music Restaurant has been one of my faves off the album since the day I heard it at the listening party, and to see it come to life exactly along the lines of how I interpreted it as well as being incredibly surprising and clever is just - chef’s kiss. Thank you Harry for this masterpiece.

[leatheslay]

shout out to that one section (starting at 2:29) of the キティ (kitty) mv in which the camera pointing at mizuki and mafuyu change for a moment to represent their younger selves.

the fucking expression of mizuki with short hair, looking at themselves, terrified. HOLY FUCK... that dysphoria feel so real lfkndlsfknaksl- and it does feel like it represents the trans experience of feeling like your past self have came back to haunt u so well... and even now with their long hair (pictured with my new pfp) they look so incredibly yearning, yearning for something, for something they feel missing. ARGHHHH IT'S SO REAL...

and mafuyu too, kflnlnal, the camera shifting to her young self with the teddy bear, seemingly having an innocent yet melancholic expression. ARGGHHH it also shows how we idealize our childhood, yet when we look closer back to our childhood... that darkness always have been there...

PROJECT SEKAI HOW DO YOU... YOU'RE THE FUNNY HATSUNE MIKU GAME... HOW DO YOU.. CONVEY THESE EMOTIONS.... THESE EXPERIENCES.- SO WELL. WHAT THE HECK-----

[thedaytheworldburned]

'Chasing That Feeling' MV First Reactions

Guys, I'm reacting. The blog isn't dead. I'm just also going to the Wild Kpop Fest in Sydney, so had to get ready for that. It was fun and I enjoyed seeing all three groups, but especially New (ahem, bias altert, ahem).

But let's have a look.

First, this MV pretty obviously follows on from 'Good Boy Gone Bad,' 'Sugar Rush Ride' and so on. It also has what I interpret as some nice Magic Island references, but I may be completely wrong (as always). So let's get into it!

I feel like this ray of light depositing TXT on Earth is a pretty obvious representation of them being expelled from Magic Island. It shows how violently they have been expelled after abusing their power, and it conveys how they, like Gfriend and unlike BTS, were born on the island, as such, and thus are basically supernatural non-human beings.

Also, the rubble and water are reminiscent of 'GBGB' and the Japanese MV for 'Sugar Rush Ride' - instantly visually connecting this storyline to the heartbreak and insanity one which those MVs discussed.

And, of course, we have the continuation of the star and the number 5 - there are 5 tunnels leading out of this hole, 5 colours in the light, 5 lights they chase, 5 points on the star, and so on.

There's also a nice contrast with the idea of angels coming down from the sky, and TXT being dressed in black - reminiscent of when they went crazy and were decidedly not angellic, despite being supernatural.

This is also emphasised by the fact that they are styled with tattoos.

Also, as always, TXT's choreographies are great.

Don't ask me to colour analyse the colours of light each membr chases - it would take far more time and research than I have today to do that in depth, and is thus better suited for a proper MV analysis. The most I can say so far is - Kai is gold - since he is the 'angel', Gyu has been associated with green before, especially in the webtoon through plants, and Yeonjun gets the other side of the cat - blue and green, thus he gets green.

A lot of this MV is them further abusing their powers, since they clearly didn't learn their lesson. Also - note that there are a lot of cars featured in this MV - cars being something we have seen in Magic Island arcs before, and which is generally a symbol of transit - as TXT are continuing their journey.

Interestingly, only Gyu, Yeonjun, and Taehyun seem to actually attain their power in this MV - Kai and Soobin are just constantly chasing it. We know Kai is in an internal battle, so it makes sense why he chases. Soobin is also being held back by doubts and the glass box the cat put him in. Yeonjun, Taehyun, and Gyu are all very firm in their beliefs - whatever those might be, and whether they're good or evil - so they can grab that power and feeling since they know how.

Trains are back - another way to get to Magic Island. They also emphasise the sense of danger in this MV.

Also, are you wondering why no one - except for the people Yeonjun LITERALLY RAN INTO are reacting to them in this MV? I'll discuss that more later.

I also think this scene is the best visual representation of the longing and desire they feel in the MV - Soobin reaching forward for power, for love, for literally everything he could ever want, but forced ackwards by the momentum of the train and his own doubts.

Like, look at this face!

Also - note that the tattoos on his neck look a little like the branches/veins V had on his neck during 'ON' era - a coincidence? Idk, but it's interesting.

So here we see that Taehyun has his power, and, like the rest of them, he is wonderfully misusing it.

Same with Gyu - although in a far more dangerous way.

Yeonjun too.

I'm not entirely sure if this is supposed to be Kai having his power or just grabbing a lift to try and catch up to it - but since there's no golden light, I'll assume he doesn't have the power.

I don't think this has any point other than to show how he's cool, how he's using his power, and possibly associating him with Gyu considering the light is green.

Star time again!

They've unified - making them more powerful, as expected. But interestingly, in this explosion, I only really see the red and blue, and, by proxy, purple. Was there a reason for this? Soobin, Taehyun, Yeonjun - generally but not always portrayed as good - vs Gyu (who smothered Taehyun) and Kai (who has a demon inside him)? Maybe I'm completely wrong.

So the Dr Strange stuff going on here is interesting because it shows that their abuse of their powers is literally breaking the universe/breaking reality. It also made me think that they were moving between dimensions - you know, since it's the mirror dimension. Which brings me back to people ignoring them and the light falling from the sky - it's possible that they have been shoved into another dimension, either by their own volition or because of the harm they did to Magic Island. This is a nice use of visual shortcut and also offers a potential explanation for why they are suddenly in some random city in America or England - I thought it was London but my knowledge of these places is almost nonexistent so please forgive me for not knowing.

I also find it interesting that they suddenly snap back to reality.

And also an odd shot to end on. The only thing we would think we would get from this is seeing the boys leave, but we also see the cars, the people walking, and the buildings. I have no doubt there is hidden meaning or are hidden detailsl, but the only thing I can really point to is that it reminds me of 'My Fair Lady,' and that the steam rising up could be considered the damage left over from the world knitting itself back together after going all mirror-dimension.

So that's the end of the MV!

I love the choreography, as always, but that is best analysed in a different video. Interestingly, I think it does little (compared to their other choreos) to tell the story, and instead is just cool and portrays the mood of the song.

Let's talk about the lyrics for a moment.

We've of course got the mandatory mentions of the night and moonlight, and of the highs of being in a 'loving' relationship.

The 'thief that keeps on stealing' is interesting, because there's the obvious meaning of 'stealing my heart,' but also the implied meaning of stealing power etc.

Then of course, the idea of miracles. Lightning is also often associated with a dangerous form of love (See Romeo and Juliet for what is probably the oldest example of that). And the kalidescope and butterflies are of course related to the butterfly effect and the fracturing of the world through the mirror univserse/dimension.

And that's pretty much it. A nice simple set of lyrics for a short little song.

Conclusions

It follows on from the previous MVs and storyline. Although slightly different themes are explored in each MV, they seem to be very obsessed with the 'high' phase of the relationship, rather than, you know, the fallout and the healing from it. Maybe they're serially dating toxic people. Psychologically that would make sense. Storyline-wise? Not so much.

That said, they probably like keeping the romance for the title tracks since that sells well, and keeping the funky mind-bending curse stuff for award shows and bside MVs, since the fans love that, and it makes jaws drop in award show season. In fact, they released this basically just in time for award show season - was that for a reason? Or is that a conspiracy theory of mine?

As a matter of interest, this (generic title tracks and crazy bsides) is something that exists in the whole industry but ESPECIALLY in HYBE.

[canyouhearthevoices]

BOUNCY MV First Reactions

COWBOY COMEBACK!

Thank you KQ for releasing this in the middle of my work day... :/

I have to say, I love that they used a different aspect ratio for the MV - it’s another example of ATEEZ’s unique use of the screen itself (another one being when the robot arms come out of the video in WONDERLAND).

I’m in love with the MV. For starters, Gothic pirate cowboys. And then we have blue-hair Hongjoong making a return. And then we have the funky vibes of the song itself. And, of course, epic ATEEZ choreo. And then there’s the use of film grain, and the increased budget they have, and how they integrate elements from previous MVs (like they always do), and in general, each comeback reminds me of why I ult ATEEZ. This is the kind of stuff I’m into. 

And I hope you’re into it too, if you’re on this blog. 

Oh by the way? You know how ATEEZ were talking about bringing anarchy onto the world in HALAZIA and Guerrilla? Well, now they’ve literally brought anarchy onto the world through one of the world’s (hah) best-known representations of anarchy - the American Wild West. Whoever made this choice is a genius because it’s amazing shorthand for the anarchy and passion they’ve actually created, and brings an expressive world for them to put their music out into. 

Also - fire. Ahem, the fire Hongjoong destroys things with? Don’t forget that Don’t Stop was one of our first teasers of THE WORLD. 

Now, I will say that I don’t condone (and hopefully ATEEZ don’t either) the dangerous and/or illegal activities in this MV (no-rules boxing, driving motorbikes without a helmet, murder, owning illegal weapons, drug dealing). That said, they did make me laugh a lot in this MV. Idols are supposed to have a perfect image and ATEEZ are happily breaking the law everyday. And I found some specific moments oddly quirky and funny which I will dsicuss later. 

But let’s talk about the MV. Full discussion below the line.

Lyrics

Well, they’re what I’d expect from a cowboy ATEEZ comeback. They have the common motifs of bouncing/dancing, playing music, being the coolest, and so on. They also include the mandatory ATEEZ references to burning up, exploding, and so on. And they include the mandatory THE WORLD references to raising your microphone and making your own voice and music in the face of... well, a world that prohibits those things.

But that’s, as I said, to be expected of ATEEZ. Let’s talk about the actual MV.

MV Analysis

So it starts the same way the opening sequence did, but in snapshots - since they know that we’ve already seen it. I do think it’s interesting that they cut out the Wanted posters, since they have been a pretty integral motif for the past few years. 

I’d just like to say that this is the perfect shot to open this MV on. It’s got the warm colours, gritty tone, and fire that are important to this era (THE WORLD), and seen in ATEEZ mvs in general (FEVER). It’s got the fire - another important motif, it establishes the setting which I’ve already mentioned is a representation of anarchy, and thus establishes the tone of the song and comeback. But it also has an interesting camera angle - one which places the audience in a position inferior to ATEEZ, but ATEEZ inferior to the remnants of the government/other institution that has power in this world. 

It’s also a very pretty set, which is always a bonus. 

This is a great followup shot since it again shows how powerful Mingi is - although we don’t know it’s Mingi yet. It also shows that this world isn’t quite as gritty and old-fashioned as we thought - there are electric lights and the floor is actually relatively clean. 

Nice context for the actual face reveal, and, since it plays into Western tropes, it gives us a hint of what will come - a face reveal, dramatics, and a shootout.

I am a massive fan of black wing eyeliner Mingi.

Crazy Hongjoong is back.

Ahh yes goats - the symbol of the Wild West.

Not entirely sure what the red lines are supposed to mean here - other than ATEEZ and lights being big, and red and HALATEEZ.

Ahh yes, best set is the drug-dealing den disguised as a reputable establishment. This also further shows that the Wild West setting of the story doesn’t apply to everything - for instance, it is quite different (yet also surprisingly similar) to this underworld cyberpunk city.

SAAAAAAAAN. And here is our third setting - the boxing arena. All of these settings have the motif of anarchy and conflict, but the Wild West, grungy neon city, and boxing arena do so in different ways - guns, crime, and punches. 

I love the grainy effect here - another visual symbol of ‘the old days’which are seen as being more like anarchy, and, in lots of cases, like a better time. 

I also love how this MV practically made Woosan canon. 

This is definitely the heist Wooyoung from Don’t Stop.

CG motorbiking ATEEZ do not condone riding your motorbike without helmets. Protect your brain - it’s important.

Turbulence tunnel?

Love how he’s doing nothing and is far back but is still subtly checking on San. 

Dude wants his money and a husband.

Very convincing police disguises...

This shot is great because it is way easier to notice the steampunk aspect of the bar and the world. 

JOOOOOOOONG AND HIS SHIPPPPPP.

Mandatory pirate reference.

10/10 choreo - groovy and slightly threatening, but also relates to the story since they cut the chillis in half to reveal the bullets they’re hiding. I f eel like it wouldn’t be a very good way to store bullets but good on them - whatever works to take down the 1984 government.

A fascinating shot and scene - the ornate architecture paints them as gods of some description, while the red is of course, scary, and the glass it’s encliosed in reminds us of the cube in Say My Name. The chandelier is also a motif in their MVs. 

There’s also the contrast of blue and red, and of the grunge of the motorbikes and ornate room around them.

I hope they have a bigger chilli farm than just this one box, because this one ain’t gonna produce a lot.

Yes try to kill Mingi - I’m sure it’ll work out for you.

CHILLLLLLLI.

Moral of the story - Mingi’s on drugs. Maybe this whole MV and era - or even all of ATEEZ’s storyline from the start - was just Mingi on drugs. 

I love the choreo and cinematography of this scene - it’s another example of ATEEZ’s unique use of the camera and alternating jerky and still camera angles. And, of course, it’s used to tell a story and to create hype. 

CG Seonghwa says you should keep your hands on the wheel/handlebars when driving. 

Where to KQ get these extras? They’re great!

This is when I started laughing. It was the canon Woosan, how the water just dribbled out of San’s mouth, how dramatic they were being in an MV, and how serious they seemed when I know the director said çut’and someone rushed over to put more blood on San.

Unsubtle storytelling is here. 

Clearly the only reason San was losing was because he was boxing, not using his martial arts skills. 

I love the freeze frame when he kicks his opponent for emphasis. 

Lmao. Literally smoking the money. Wooyoung has great facial expressions. 

Great combination of lyrics and video to tell a story and to subvert my expectations of what the lyrics would mean (I was thinking of WONDERLAND’s start of a race).

This was another shot that made me laugh. It was the funky camera angles, the weird dance moves, them all being in a line, and how serious Hongjoong was while doing it all. 

My respect for him and his performance grows every day. 

I mean the choreo is pretty snazzy, it just shouldn’t be painted in such a serious light, I think. 

Literal canon Woosan literally being on top of the boxing world. 

ATEEZ the gods of the chilli pepper. 

On a more serious note - the shift to white is a bit unusual, but it leads us into the final verse and to the reveal that comes later.

OMG NOW WE KNOW WHY THEY’VE BEEN DRUG DEALING CHILLIS. 

haha

Hello High Noon Jhin from League of Legends.

Okay, bruv.

Why would you destroy your chilli crop?

Okay, it’s probably a different scene, but still.

That is one nasty bullet. That won’t do any more damage than a regular bullet unless it explodes on impact.

Please imagine that I gasped so hard that I fell off my chair, my jaw detatched, my soul left my body and I revived and became a god. 

My question then is - did this bullet actually kill the Guardian? Was that why it was weird? Is it possible to kill the Guardians?

And by the way this is the ‘white’reveal that I was talking about. Believe it or not - the white earlier probably made it easier for the audience to process this split-second reveal. 

I love the transition from fire to fireworks to champagne/water/whatever it is - it helps the audience understand, makes sense in the given scenes, and is HYPE.

Hey Don’t Stop ~

I love how this is like an old Western poster - and also how it includes buildings we are more familiar with from Guerrilla and HALAZIA - which connect it to the previous albums. 

According to the subtitles, this says ‘so freaking persistent,’which may or may not be censored. 

To which I assume he means the Wanted posters - but which could be the mark on them. Am I unobservant, or have we not seen this mark before? I doubt ATEEZ made it. Did the Guardians make it?

I also find it interesting that Mingi is kind of the main character of this MV. He’s a great choice for it, especially with the Wild West and intimidating theme of the MV, but I wonder if there is also a storyline reason for it. 

And that’s it! That’s the end of the MV! It pretty nicely continues the story from the previous releases, and shows how the world has progressed in the period between albums. They picked some super clever imagery to express this, which is all in service of the storyline and communicating the story as easily as possible in such a short time frame. I heard that some people think that it’s sad that ATEEZ are so dedicated to their storyline, since it means that they create less ballads - something that lots of people like. But not only am I not a fan of ballads, I love how dedicated they are to the storyline because it’s so unique to be this dedicated, and because the story itself is their identity and a key part of their success. They’ve showed dedication to artistry and storytelling over popularity, and that’s great. Not that prioritising popularity is bad - just that I admire ATEZ’s dedication. 

Conclusions

Woosan is now canon, ATEEZ’s directors, set designers, creative directors and so forth are geniuses, their extras are hilarious, and ATEEZ have amazing performances which I want to see more of. The cowboy theme is amazing here - andI probably love it even more since it reminds me of Face The Sun by SEVENTEEN - another stellar comeback and album. 

[whatthefuckisupwiththat]

She is literally spilling rainbow paint at the end of the video after wearing a gay ass suit short combo with cowboy boots at the end of the mv.

If it was anyone else, yall would have been accepted the bitch as queer tbh.

[orange-jake-apple-jake]

I think the knife (or maybe a piece from the motorcycle?) that he holds is possibly a metaphor for the numerous traumas mentioned in the song's lyrics, as well as the motorcycle accident that is depicted in the video. In addition to that, it could also represent his sometimes self-inflicted fear or destruction which ultimately gave birth to Agust D, who Yoongi has mentioned is a manifestation of things like fear, regret, grief, etc.

[nvilyze]

Love wins all ...

In a world of chaos, Love wins all.

Yesterday, I discovered "Love wins all" by IU. This song, accompanied by its cinematic M/V, truly was an emotional experience. It drew me in from the first scene, where both IU and Taehyung's characters were in despair, chased by this square-shaped entity. At the beginning, when they enter the abandoned building, we can see IU guiding Taehyung, as he seems scared, unsure and couldn't hear anything nor see with his right eye. The music started at this exact moment, with subtle notes .. it was pretty much like .. a lullaby ? Symbolizing that, since the beginning, despite the world being a mess, IU would stay by her loved one.

A camcorder ?

"As they escape, they imagine a world beyond superficial appearances, discovering the beauty of their shared imagination and peaceful past together." (@naceventures on twt) Even though the time background in the video is set in the present, the scenes on the camcorder screen show a world that existed long before it turned into ruins. "The lens of the camcorder means the filter of love" (source) They were so genuinely happy, enjoying together their shared moments. They were ... in love. They even decided to disguise as a married couple, with a wedding dress and a tuxedo.

A sorrowful conclusion ..

In the end, the square-shaped entity ended up finding them and chasing them, once again. They ran, and ran again .. until they came back to the starting point, at the center of the abandoned building in front of a pile of clothes already present at the beginning (surely in reference to the work of Christian Boltanski "Personnes"). (This pile of clothes is important as it represents departed souls who left nothing but .. clothes. They must have all met a horrible end) IU was willing to fight this entity with an iron bar, but Taehyung decided to do it himself, because as IU was always the one protecting him. Sadly, the cube remained intact, unbroken. At some point, we could see IU squeezing Taehyung three times at the end, meaning "I love you". The entity then took away their lives, leaving only the wedding dress and the tuxedo behind them, slowly falling on the pile of clothes.

IU's and Taehyung's acting

Both of them were incredible, their mutual artistry was really impressive ! I was touched. The expressions, the gestures .. everything was so captivating, they brought such an authenticity to their characters ! Without a doubt, they brought the storyline to life with just 5 minutes.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Besides, this is basically a song dedicated to her loved ones especially fans. This means Taehyung represents the fans, or "those who try to love to the very end". (see the source here !) That is where it is even more impactful, because in the M/V, when the music starts playing, we, as viewers/fans, cannot hear anything from what is happening. We only hear IU's voice, the guardian angel's voice. I want to believe it was an intentional choice. It's like we truly became Taehyung's character. So maybe, just maybe, the boy could hear IU's voice as well.

.. Not to mention, her voice easily made me emotional since the first beat when she started singing. She has such an emotional and soft yet powerful voice !

.

.

.

"Go the end with me, My lover."

[calculosavulsos]

This is all about Jimin disassociating at the bathroom

There is a lot of theory about Jimin's song Like Crazy is about his gender journey and self acceptance, we already knew that. However there is one particular scene that reminded me Jhope EGO and it leads me to the bathroom, a very sensitive topic to the trans community.

Here Jhope looks himself at the mirror, turns his back, moves his closet way and behind it there is this very clear, broad, plain hallway. The mirror part represents the way he views himself and his gender identity while the corridor is acknowledgement of his shadow to access his self and ego (the final destination of Map of Soul).

Unlikely Jhope, Jimin's corridor is being filled with dirty, later is just narrow, another time there is people blocking his way to his self.

This is a very good visual representation on how hard it to queer and especially genderqueer people come in term with themselves because of internalized trans/homophobia (the dirty), or epistemic injustices, or/mainly because other people actions upon oneself or the community as a whole.

While Jhope's corridor had no other visible place to go, Jimin's corridor has a genderless bathroom sign and two doors (two bathrooms?), as a middle point in his own shadow. It might be implied that the bathroom represents his anima/animus, also his gender identity is emerged into his shadow, the part of himself his persona doesn't show.

The party and the alcohol are ways Jimin creates to numb his mind, his shadow. As the club is a public space, he is also using his own public persona as a way to scape from the deepest parts of his inner self. However it doesn't matter what he tries, he will end up finding her, his female part. When they start to look for each other, Jimin body is scanned - euphoria/dysphoria in art form - as they look at each other like a mirror.

The bathroom

Public bathrooms are designed to control people's bodies. Those places has a very efficient gender technology in their architecture that makes everyone revisit their own gender as binary all the time. So public bathrooms are latently violent to gender nonconforming people and all kinds of transgender people to stay in.

The bathroom still violent place to Jimin as well, as he left it implied when he sings that his reflection is letting he "endlessly crazy". To safely be in a public bathroom you must pass and it's fairly easy to notice by his works how Jimin once tried hard to conform.

No wonder is the public bathroom where he disassociates from his reality: this is where all the self and socially imposed pressure related to gender probably will culminate.

Dream

Usually dreams are used as a escapism metaphor and in this song might not be that different. However the fact of one of the lasts verses says "I need a way we can dream of" dreaming sifts its meaning to believing in some (extra) personal change. The dialogue in the music' begging is about dreaming of changing while negotiating with the fear. Like crazy was always a great bargain.

This change eventually happens in the mv, the bathroom reassembles as Jimin is not in there. This is part of his self acceptance, personal changing and growing process, but it doesn't go without consequences.

As he returns to that room (his ego?) the dirty is not all over the floor anymore, but in himself. "Alone again. What's the point?" This time Jimin is conscious of his gender identity but that one question remains. As I also see Face as the five stages of grief, the next stage is depression or "Alone".

[scotts-takes]

Top Songs from Enstars 2023

Number 3- Colors Arise

Boy, what a weird year for Ryuseitai! They got 2 new song events in a couple month stretch...including one that was after the Climax events started, but not a Climax event? And the first one we had this year actually feeling like a Climax?!?

The way Tetora has been handled in !! era has been...weird, to say the least. At the end of !, he is passed the mantle of Red by Chiaki...but that doesn't last. He gets the red outfit in Motorshow (with Chiaki donning Orange), but after that...Chiaki is back and always Red. We never got a Ryusetai unit outfit in Red for Tetora, and then Comet Show happened and Chiaki was back, and it was as if Tetora as Red never happened.

Flash forward 3 years, and we get our resolution to this in Color Arise. To make a long story short, Tetora remains black, but the logo has changed so that Black is now in the center of it, showing the Tetora is now the leader. It's not exactly what I wanted, but it does firmly resolve the story of who the leader is.

The reason I really wanted to talk about this is because of how amazing the MV is. It takes the Sentai themes of Ryuseitai and makes a mini-movie out of it! Going to a mysterious world, encountering a hostile lifeform that traps all of them, only for Tetora to escape, free everyone, and then teleport back to a dying earth and healing it, and then performing a concert! The highlight of this entire video, to me, is the teleportation sequence, and how the idols "land" on the stage. It's an effect that can be done in real life with light projection and a trapdoor/raising stage, where the video plays on the big screen, and when they "arrive" the light beams shoot down from the ceiling and then the idols "emerge" from the trapdoor. It's the kind of effect you would have seen from the era where groups like The Backstreet Boys were the biggest music acts in the world and doing giant, Taylor Swift-style world tours. It fully fits with the kayfabe/fantasy of the unit, while being something practical.

My closing thought on this is....why wasn't this saved for the Climax? The Climax is going to be a Kanata centered song, which is a bit weird to me, as the story of Ryusetai has always been about Chiaki, and then about Tetora. This....was the conclusion to that story. There isn't anything else to Climax!

[anightmarethisdamage]

Medusa MV Reactions Part 2

Anyway I'm not going to lie, I thought this was Sangwoo's grave... :o

Rip.

This reminds me of the Cicada ARG.

I also find it interesting that the Medusa place is a carwash - with water (duh) which could be used as a mirror to stop Medusa from turning you to stone. We could also see the TV screen earlier as a way to stop her turning you to stone - hence why the boys just got... brainwashed? De-brainwashed? Whatever it was.

Omg Medusa's drug dealing water now!

I love the travelling motifs like cars, petrol stations, hotels etc, but I just cannot suspend disbelief enough to think they got such a nice car without stealing or murder.

Why does he look so fascinated lmao?

OMG WATER!

Bain got to water his plant! Or did he....?

Yeah how about no he didn't?

Dude my jaw dropped when I saw this shot. The MV could have ended with Bain recycling his water bottle, but this one shot recontextualises the whole thing. As you may know, since I stan JUST B, I am a massive fan of time loops and nonlinear narratives. And if there is one thing to take away from this MV - it's that in Tick Tock we saw the butterfly effect happening - and now they've done something that butterfly-effected them into a timeloop dream state. I would say 'like idiots,' but this happens to a lot of people apparently, so they're just regularly stupid.

This also creates a lot of engagement in the MV because we now wonder - how do they get out? Which is the dream? Are they both the same reality or not? Is this real or not? And so on. I think I've offered good hypotheses in my analysis but the only real way to get an answer is next comeback... which... I mean, since this one took 11 months we have no clue when the next one will happen, if at all.

Sorry to be a downer.

I loved the song, anyway.

Let's look at the lyrics!

Lyric Analysis

Yep, so straight off the bat there's a lot of imagery of violence, suffering, conflict etc - talking about predators, starving, killing, etc - and also division - they are divided, either from each other or the rest of the world.

Then there's the fixing of the division - through the rain that washes the memories away - ironic, since there's no water in the MV - and then the connection - riding high beside you and throwing your old memories away, breaking your painful past to come out new.

I like how they say 'in the darkness, you're my Medusa' - in classic JUST B fashion, with insane depth. Medusa could be beautiful, she could also be ugly. But whatever she is, she is dangerous, and this is reflected in the MV - the rain is supposed to bond them to their Medusa and get rid of the division - but there is no rain - it's all in their head - they are being deceived by her and in the end end up with nothing - no water, no love no nothing.

Not going to lie, with the whole 'drop the pain on me' and 'I'll break the thorny barriers around your heart,' they sound a little masochistic. Mind you, this is something we've seen before with JUST B - probably related to the trauma of DAMAGE.

I like how JM's bridge-postchorus thing is distorted too - shows the effect that Medusa has on them. Also, how they then literally say 'I can't look away,' like, yeah, you can't, you're literally stone, my guy.

Medusa also recontextualises the 'don't break down' at the end - because they are stone, they can literally be broken and shattered.

So - conclusions about the lyrics. As always, they are amazing and have some hidden meaning. However, I think they really shine with the MV, rather than by themselves, as lyrics like DAMAGE do. Medusa is on paper, a lovesong with some potentially sinister meaning. But the MV takes that gothic, sinister nature up the the next degree. Not only is there no rain and no water, only desert and suffering, but there is also no sign of love or relief from this suffering. There are also wonderfully amazing moments like the line 'You're the medusa in my darkness,' - suggesting a saviour - while Bain is literally crying over not having water - hence, no saviour. It reveals how the boys have been blinded to the dangerous nature of their situation, and it's quite frankly amazing how the MV contradicts the lyrics of the song to tell a story. 10/10.

Conclusions

An amazingly Gothic story, as expected from JUST B. It carries on both from the 'JUST B' series and from Naneun, continuing the story while also creating it's own self-contained and intriguing story. It leaves us with many questions and a few potential answers, and uses the juxtaposition of lyrics and video to further show the themes of the story in an amazing way. Could it be better? Sure. But I'll always have my own directions I want the storyline to go and they won't be the ones BlueDot takes. It's still a very solid addition to their discography and I know I'll be playing this song on repeat for ages, singing my heart out like Geonu.

[igiveyoumyblood]

'War Cry' MV Reactions Part 2.

This is Part 2. For the analysis, see below the line.

Starting off here with wolfiness #15.

Now that's just a cool shot. But also #16.

#17 hell yeah.

&TEAM coming through again for the third album in a row with 100000/10 choreography.

That's right, don't you let her control you.

I love this bit.

Why does he look so sad? TT

Okay my bad, it looks like the ice powers well and truly belong the the werewolves.

YESSSSSSS.

#22.

#23.

Nice.

Why does he look like Hwall from THEBOYZ here?

Forever missing Hwall TT

Dude that is so metal and Gothic. I love it.

It's also edited to be split-second enough that we, the audience, get an idea of something violent and spiky, but don't see the details - this particular scene is shown in something like 6 frames across 2 shots - VERY quick.

Very nice and emphasises their connection to ENHYPEN who had a similar shot - although far smooher and more choreographed (ahem vampires ahem) in 'Bite Me'.

YES I LOVE IT. It's circular, and it's wolfy.

So that's the end of the MV, with a large count of wolfy moments and some very cool shots. Let's talk about the lyrics for a moment.

Lyrics

Well, they're what you'd expect from a young highschool-themed werewolf boy group;

The moon and silver imagery

Light/dark/night/day imagery

Time and the changing of the world and yourself

Blood, instincts, pack mentality etc

The howl being a war cry

Being together/mirrors of each other/generally growing as a person as part of a group

Yep. Nice, but other than that, there isn't much to say about them that isn't a full-on analysis of them.

Conclusions

A very cool MV. I desperately want to be involved in directing HYBE MVs, and the creative team at HYBE in general.

There are wolves, they do wolfy things, they are very cool while doing so, and so on. What would you expect?

Even better, I know everyone's names and faces now, so I can have EVEN MORE appreciation for them than I already did!

The choreography is the best, as always.

Interestingly, this MV seemed to lack the motif of their other MVs - collecting and preserving memories. The only thing here is K's vision, which isn't even really a memory....? Perhaps the trauma of Sooha possibly murdering them in 'Firework' has made them rethink their obsession with the past.

[limitlesssense]

What is going on in Taeyong’s SHALALA music video? Here is a breakdown of the plot and message!

[lets-talk-spirituality]

Thanks for linking the daylight stuff!

Your takes were SO interesting, especially connecting the sad clown to his Halloween costume and spotting the tarot reader in the back. I think he had a tarot station at his Halloween show!

The video has a weird energy to me because it somehow feels like he’s in the middle of the late night talking and as it was narrative, as you said, but also like he’s turning a new page. It was also made in the middle of this era but only came out now.

do you think maybe he’s looking for a way out of the circus or has given up and accepted it? The horse imagery feels really final from your analysis tho I believe the death card represents change?

Brooooo 🤯

So we discussed here somewhere (probably deleted) about the bird and the fish right? How in the first album the bird is looking down at him in water (the album cover) and then the second album is fish eye and the last album is upside down. Holy shit. The sky and the sea mirror each other and look the same upside down. The reason the ocean looks blue is because it reflects the sky.

Anyway, so I’m on instagram and I come across this quote from Ever After “a bird may love a fish, but where would they live” “then I shall have to make you wings” and it all fucking clicks. Guys, the bird and the fish—daylight and golden/adore you. In MFASR he is a fish. Did he try to become a fish and a bird only to still be Harry?

Ever After is a retelling of Cinderella, the fairytale where a prince meets a low status woman who is kind and falls in love and then searches for her throughout the kingdom… are you all seeing the parallels now?

Anywho, just made that connection, kinda curious it connects to Cinderella, but he is Prince Charming/God of Love. God it’s so mythic isn’t it?

So back to responding to your ask… yes he did have tarot, the moon and the fool card at Harryween.

Yeah there is a feeling of chaos in all the music videos, like fast moving, lots going on. I feel like the energy of the Daylight mv seems to me to be a continuation of LNT. If we were to put the videos from this album in chronological order (sorta) I’d think it’d be MFASR, LNT, Daylight, As it Was. At the end of LNT he’s falling and in the beginning of Daylight he’s coming down into the circus. It’s a circus in his dreams and reality, you could see Daylight as showing he’s gotten deeper into the circus.

The death card is a card of transformation yes. The ending of something, an era. To me it’s Pluto vibes, you lose so you gain. You sacrifice something now for a better thing later on. Very much those vibes. For him, he’s accepted he’s lost something, sacrificed something for this career he wants. At least that’s how I read it.

I didn’t really see the death card in the horse shot. But if so than we’ve had three tarot card instances— 0 the fool (beginning of a journey, naïveté), 13 Death (end of a journey), 18 the moon (emotions, dreams, illusions). Kinda interesting he put the fool and the moon together. It symbolizes to me what we’ve been discussing about him evolving.

Anyway! There’s my thoughts.