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tao-the-panda · 7 years

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EXO Theory (Lucky One/Monster)

Disclaimer: These are my old theories from a while ago/several past blogs ago, and I just found them on my flash drive after thinking I lost them forever. I just wanted to repost them on my current blog.

Part One

Alright, I’ve spent way too much time this morning looking at EXO theories because fuck my sanity, but I think I actually put everything together. Disclaimer, I came to these conclusions by reading several people’s theories, which I will link throughout my post. However, some points I will say do come from other people’s theories, but I can’t find all the theories that I sample, so if you see something in this giant post that was yours or you have a link to it, shoot it at me and I’ll put it in. I’m not claiming it’s mine, just a lot of other theories help connect pieces on my own.

I’m going to touch on a few different topics throughout this post.

The MVs connections Good/Evil OT9 Lucky One Monster Betrayal? Captivity(and what happens) OT9

Let’s start with the easiest of all, OT9. Now this wasn’t my idea, but I can’t find the post that says this, so these aren’t my words. Credit goes to the blog that my dumb butt can’t find. It’s obvious this comeback heavily focuses on enforcing OT9. Ever since Kris’ leaving, there has always been a little easter egg hidden for past members. A line for each of the missing members will be in the maze at the end of the MV, there were three jerseys hung up in Love Me Right, and of course there are three lines in the middle of the maze in Lucky One as well. But as the post that pointed this out will state, there’s so much OT9 stuff this comeback. 9 songs on the new album, 9 official logos, everything was released at 9AM and 9PM, the MVs dropped on June 9th, etc. This comeback is heavily focusing on EXO as 9 now.

MVs connection Most people believe that the MVs are indeed connected, but most think they’re being put out in reverse, like a movie when you show a dramatic opening scene and then it cuts to “2 months earlier”. I, however, think they are being released in the correct order(with the exception of a few). History, EXO is here, existing, on earth, with their powers. MAMA, EXO has been noticed by the world, and has been shunned because of their non-normal actions. Wolf and Growl, they’re not actually wolves, but they are harboring the viciousness of wolves towards the world after being pretty much exiled. So with being shunned by humanity, they go into hiding as students, where they meet one girl that treats them like people, not abominations, and because they’ve been shown the first kindness since arriving on the planet, they become fiercely territorial and possessive of the girl, like wolves, and even going as far as to actually fight a “rival” group of normal human students because they took “their girl”. But you have to remember, the students they fought, were just students. Their superhuman strength obviously cannot be match by simple students, and of course, after the fight, they’d obviously be reported. Which is why they’re all running from something and all over the world in EXODUS’ Pathcodes. They had to scatter, and go back into hiding, as to not be caught for either jail time, or because they’ve been outed as not human, taken by authorities for testing. Love Me Right, Overdose, and Lucky One are happening at the same time, after they’ve been taken, and are in captivity, supported by this:

In Love Me Right, during Lay’s scene, you can see the outfits EXO wear in Lucky One through the window in Lay’s room.

Lay is watching it happen. Yes I know Lay was out in Lucky One as well, but this is happening during the same period of time, not the exact moments. But why? I think…it’s a trial.

They’re not actually escaping right then, as Lay is watching, he’s watching another trial of the same thing in Lucky One. Someone pointed out that in Lucky One, it’s all a test, that they want EXO to escape. That, I believe, is supported by this from Overdose and Lucky One.

In science, rats will be put in small mazes and have to find their way out. Rats are highly intelligent, and once they realize they’ve hit a dead end, when given the chance to repeat the test, will not go the same way.

Xiumin found a dead end in his trial. So he won’t go that way again. The maze logo hasn’t changed, in years, it’s the same. The trial is the same, over and over again, EXO is put into the same maze and given time to figure it out, before the Ladies(robots) come to collect them because their times up. Because if they haven’t found the end by the time their given, they’ve failed that trial, and will be taken away to their rooms, until they are given another chance. Which is also supported by this:

Same doors in Love Me Right and Lucky One, they’re already in trials.

Love Me Right, I believe is when they’ve been taken, about obviously drugged, given the Alice in Wonderland theme, which by the book, was just a dream from two sisters. Love Me Right is all a drug induced dream. And Monster is the final act, the revolution.

Good VS Evil I’m really bad at finding posts that I’ve been inspired by, but this was pointed out by another blogger, not me, but I’m tweaking it a bit. Since the opening of MAMA, which the giant monologue, you know the one “when they skies and the grounds were one” it’s been assumed that EXO was split, commonly accepted as being split between EXO-M and EXO-K. But with the Lucky VS Monster comeback, there’s been speculation on which are bad and which are good. They’re all good. In Love Me Right, people noted that Xiumin was messing around with experiments, and theorized that he was testing on the other boys. I think he was too, but in a different way. For Monster/Lucky One’s comeback, people were side eyeing XiuChen(and Baek but I’ll get to that, with D.O. as well), and for good suspicion. But what if I told you Xiumin was actually helping the boys with his experiments?

Betrayal(?)/Captivity Lucky One/Monster In Love Me Right, EXO has already been taken, and I doubt that Xiumin would have the free will and ability to experiment on the boys. He’d have to have permission…or have been told to do it. He’s being forced to partake in experimenting on his friends…but is he really doing what they ask? My theory as to what in the hell Xiumin was doing with the lab kits, with Chen, was he was trying to create a cure.

They were even being watched, for their progress.

EXO have their powers in Lucky One, they can still control it, if they have these immense powers…why haven’t they escaped easily? Easy. Their powers were taken away from them. Which explains why Kai did that dumbass dance, because he didn’t have his powers and that’s all he could do. The upper power had a “cure” to numb their powers, so they’re just people, preventing them from using their abilities that could easily aid their escape. So, when given the task to help the upper power keep them subdued, Xiumin’s job was to create a counter cure, that renders the upper powers “cure” on EXO’s powers useless. That’s why he’s messing with the lab kits, and why he has Chen with him. Chen is his test dummy. Xiumin is testing out his counter cures on Chen, before giving them to the rest of the boys. Let’s remember the boys’ powers:

Kai: Teleportation Chanyeol: Fire Baekhyun: Light Sehun: Wind D.O. : Earth Suho: Water Chen: Lightning Lay: Healing Xiumin: Frost Who’s numb?

Chen has a kind of unneeded power, so he makes sense to be Xiumin’s guinea pig, since if it doesn’t work or somehow messes up, lightning isn’t a huge lose. But we see him “short circuiting” the woman when they run into her, so he still has his power, and Xiumin successfully cured him.

Kai’s the most unnecessary yet needed power at that moment. He can teleport, but where? There’s no where to go, they’re stuck in a maze. But, it would have been useful once cornered, but he didn’t have his powers, because he was numbed, so he could be easily caught.

Instead of showing his power like the other boys, he’s again dancing…

D.O. has a very useful power, seeing as Earth can easily be manipulated into an earthquake and bring the entire building down, and in Lucky One, he’s the one being heavily tested on, so we can assume he’s numb as well.

Lay was taken away as well, but his power is healing, so not much of help either way.

Suho shows he can still make water, showing Xiumin it. C’mon…Xiu already knows what you can do, why make a show of it? To show Xiumin that he succeeded.

Chanyeol can still make fire.

Baekhyun can still make light.

And does anyone find it odd that Baekhyun didn’t convulse like Kai and D.O. did? He just…sits right up, completely unfazed. Because he’s the rat

Xiumin doesn’t show his frost power, but we see the ice cubes, so we can assume he can still do his powers.

Sehun is the only one that doesn’t show his power, he could’ve blown a bitch away if he wanted to, but he didn’t, so I’m assume he’s numb as well.

Tell me, why do Chanyeol and Suho almost looked surprised their powers worked? Because they weren’t supposed to. But Xiumin fixed it.

So we have:

Kai: Teleportation Chanyeol: Fire Baekhyun: Light Sehun: Wind D.O. : Earth Suho: Water Chen: Lightning Lay: Healing Xiumin: Frost

I also noticed only a few of the boys had blue eyes.

Why don’t Chen, D.O., and Suho have blue eyes?

So with these powers usable, why not escape? Light won’t help, healing won’t help, frost will only freeze your friends, water is just going to drown you all, and fire will just burn you all.

The powers don’t help.

But that’s not why.

They’re waiting.

On D.O.

During the “escape” D.O. was seen once, standing directly in the hallways, and was never seen again until the end. He’s not running from the “nurses” or getting cornered, he’s literally not there.

Because D.O. was busy doing his job; finding the exit. AKA, the middle of the maze.

That’s the exit. That’s the way out.

Look at the logo, there’s no way to know where you are from any other point fthan the middle, the middle is the starting point to knowing how to get out. You have to get in the heart of the maze to get out.

D.O. is the “lucky one” because he did the job, he found the middle of the maze, while the other boys distracted and “exploded” the people preventing them from finding it. He didn’t betray anyone, he was simply doing his duty.

It was just a game, they were watching their progress…

No one has betrayed anyone here, and I’ll tell you why.

I was reading this lovely theory about Baekhyun not actually saving them, but betraying the group [lol cant find it anymore] but it didn’t set right with me because Baekhyun denied being the betrayer.

So to me, that theory doesn’t hold up anymore, but it does have many properties that could be proven right with the right light.

As that theory points out, the snake symbolizes Baekhyun turning his back on EXO, betraying them. But a snake just means a treacherous and deceitful person, who is he deceiving? Certainly it wouldn’t be his friends, he’s deceiving the higher ups, who he’s getting expectedly close to.

This is actually a very smart tactic, getting close to the power holding you captive. It’s common for people to be rats in prison, providing police officers with information on other inmates in turn for protection, a shortened sentence, or other luxuries such as cigarettes. But these are his friends, his brothers, his family, he lived through so much with these people, I find it incredibly hard to believe that after all that, he’d so easily be a rat. And that’s because he isn’t. He, like D.O. and Xiumin, was just doing his job. It would explain why he wasn’t badly beaten like the other boys, because he’s the rat, he’d be given special treatment(not being beaten) and why he turned away, feeling guilty that he’s causing his brothers pain but knowing it’s necessary for them all to escape together. This is just to feed false information to the higher ups, and to gain their trust.

The original post also pointed out the connection between Baekhyun and the cameras.

The original post thinks they were ambushed from their own home, not in captivity again. But the table reminds me a little too much of Love Me Right, which was while they were being tested on.

I think they got moved. They’re simply in another place similar to the rooms they were kept in, after D.O. found the exit.

D.O. being on the cameras is an important part, he’s watching something. Keeping an eye on something. D.O. is constantly on the watch, he was there when the cameras went off. He would have known, or saw Baek to it. It’s all part of the plan.

If this was EXO’s compound, I doubt that after having escaped the experimenting, they would only have one bundle of cameras. And what use is it, if they do come for EXO, and they get in? You can’t tell me there aren’t cameras throughout the entire building to see when someone is in which room.

Why would they monitor their building, if that’s what we’re going with? You’d monitor the surrounding area and have separate cameras on the building to watch for someone breaking in. EXO is being watched, not them protecting themselves.

I think they’re still in the lab, being forced to play out another scenario.

Because if they were out…they’d have their powers, yet they got their asses kicked by some SWAT guys? Chan could have lit every one of them into a firey blaze, but got beat the hell up? C’mon now.

I have the theory that Baekhyun was the mastermind(supported by him “controlling” members in the dance and being the head of the table), gaining the upper powers trust. Xiumin was meant to fix their numb powers, and D.O. is meant to keep watch and find the way out.

They beat the game, and tried to escape and plot to get out, and for that, they were put in a new location to figure out and punished with beatings, while Baekhyun was let off because he is still believed to be a rat for the higher up.

Notice how they didn’t use the maze at the end?

Because they’re not in the maze anymore.

Like rats once they’ve completed their task, they’re given a new one.

They’ve been moved.

Part 2

Alright everyone, this is going to be my final say on EXO’s Lucky One/Monster theory, adding to my previous theory for the newest comeback [Part One Here] my sudden realization that actually sprung about…thanks to my Nana. Oh and a special shout out to someone(@junsbrows) that reblogged the first part of my theory with my exact points in the tags. I’m sorry I couldn’t beat you to the punch, but my internet has been out all day and yesterday, so once I realized this, I wasn’t able to immediately update my previous theory or make another post, so my apologies. But here’s the rest of the theory and my final say on this stage of EXO: Baekhyun didn’t betray them, and he actually 100% saved EXO.

Again, this was kind of brought to light by me reading this brilliant theory that I much enjoy, but was sadly shot down by Baekhyun saying he didn’t betray EXO.

And that’s a major important piece of this; Baekhyun was asked about his betrayal, and he said he didn’t betray EXO. That’s important because one; he basically admitted there is actually a plot that follows the MV, for Baekhyun to even be able to comment on it and two; Baekhyun shot down the betrayal theory making it, in my mind, not cannon.

It would make sense too, because he didn’t betray them…he risked his life and theirs to save them all.

The kicker to this actually was pointed out by my grandma(so special thanks to her) while I was explaining my theory to Nana and she asked to see the Lucky One MV once more, she pointed out that while on the hospital beds, there looked to be monitors in the room behind them….and they look like it to me. So Lucky One and Monster are 100% connected. And you know how? Look in the back room, through the glass, in Lucky One.

See all those fence like things? They’re the fences and “cages” from Monster.

I was on the right track with my statement in my previous installment of EXO theories, that they hadn’t gotten free yet in Lucky One and were simply moved. And they were….one room over, to the room with all the fences to be beaten.

As I already speculated in my previous part about the building EXO were in and attacked in wasn’t their base after they escaped in Lucky One, because(when I get to it, I’ll be making a theory on all EXO MVs+Pathcodes) during EXODUS, EXO split up and went into hiding all over the world, I hardly doubt after escaping the Lab Building they would be stupid enough to stay gathered together to easily be caught again. The cameras are all wrong for someone monitoring their own home for their own protection, they were still in the Lab Building and being watched by the higher ups, just in another room. I thought at first, before looking a bit too far into theories, that EXO were indeed beaten and taken where ever, but you over looked the fact that EXO literally beat killed all the guards. Kai is standing on a hill of their bodies.

Lay is surrounded by bodies.

Chen is just chilling with a bunch of bodies.

They may have been beaten, but they won in the end.

The room with the fences, is closed in. There’s fences and posts everywhere. It’s part of the Lab Building, just another room for what ever the higher ups are doing to EXO(beating the crap out of them). But look at the background of the dance parts.

Looks like lights doesn’t it? City lights.

And here in day light.

There’s cars and a parking lot and what looks like a store or something of the likes in the back.

And EXO is completely surrounded by nothing. No people. No cameras. No poles. No fences. Even the ceiling of the building EXO dance in isn’t like the building that they would be staying in if they were still in the Lab Building. They’re in a massive, empty, warehouse.

So EXO beat the guards, and in the end, EXO escaped. But the question still stands…what about Baekhyun? We know, from Baekhyun’s mouth, that he didn’t betray them. And like I said, it was all part of the plan. Baekhyun wasn’t beaten or thrown around because they still suspected he was the “rat” and was on the higher ups’ side, but it was all a scheme. See, when he’s not busy with getting punched in the face, while EXO are being beaten and fighting back, Baekhyun has a chance to slip away. He wasn’t turning his back on them, he was doing the next part of his job, get them out of here.

While the guards are occupied fighting EXO(and being destroyed in the end), Baekhyun was able to turn off the cameras that enabled the higher ups to watch them, well….get beaten…

Put on the uniform from one of the bodies, pose as a guard, rally the boys up into the car(which is why he wasn’t in the back) and drove them all away.

Came crashing through, He got out of the van(which means he was the hand steering).

Opened the back of the van which in the background you can see the lights of the city, and takes off his mask.

hello mother fucker

Baekhyun sacrificed his brothers’ safety for the good of the cause, getting them free. Baekhyun actually saved them all. Baekhyun is the hero. EXO is out of the maze, thanks to Baekhyun’s brilliant ability to fool and manipulate the people keeping them captive. EXO is free.

Or maybe not, I guess we’ll have to wait until the next comeback to know.

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tao-the-panda · 7 years

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kokobop mv observations

Rainbow KOKOBOP lollies. Looks like a matchbox.

ANGEL tattoo – reference to him flying/lying on a cloud later? Reference to being able to travel between worlds?

KAI and XIUMIN are flat out. Suho is still awake, casual, watching them. He has the blue water(?) mug in front of him, and as we see it’s most likely poisoned/drugged like the lollies.

Our first stoplight reference. This is a go. The other two are blank/off for now.

KAI, SUHO, XIUMIN are all still awake here. BAEKHYUN is with them.

There are a lot of cloud/fog references in this MV and the teasers; this is SUHO’s hand stirring the mug. Is it the same fog as we saw around CHANYEOL in the group photo teasers?

The mug fades out into the stoplight, and fades in to them passed out(?) in a field.

This is the first power demo we see in this KOKOBOP world and it’s the same shape glass as the glass in the Lucky One MV. Is this actually a use of power, or is it the virtual world responding to their wishes?

Is this the same as whatever SUHO cooked up? Presumably. But why knowingly drink it, and why together? Notice the glass is surrounded by the EXO lollies. I’m pretty sure it’s the same shape glass as the previous screenshot.

Upside down shot. They’re looking at each other. Is this XIUMIN’s doing? A breakout? Notice how synched they are. Joining forces/powers? Going to a specific place in the virtual KOKOBOP world?

We can pretty much assume this is an illusion, or a virtual world. It’s oversaturated; disconnected – look at the colour of the sky and how closely it matches CHANYEOL’s hair in this MV. This is not real.

This washing machine appeared earlier, empty and closed. Here we have it open and a small SUHO in what resembles a fishtank. Is this a metaphor for the containment of their powers, the smallness of the KOKOBOP virtual world? There’s not much space left to breathe.

(Notice the clothes match SUHO here. It looks like BAEKHYUN in the tank, but it’s SUHO.)

All the traffic lights are on. Full speed ahead. This isn’t a go, or a pause; this is a malfunction, or a breakout.

BAEKHYUN and SUHO together. (That’s SUHO on the right.) We see them together multiple times in this MV, conscious while XIUMIN/KAI are unconscious, dancing together, etc. The same goes for D.O and CHEN, and SEHUN and XIUMIN. There are definite alliances being made here. For the war to come?

This is another argument for it being a virtual world. This is almost a game world, like in the Romantic Universe MV. It could very well be a virtual world within a virtual world; the imprisonment world of the Romantic Universe, and then a hideaway within it that can’t contain them for long, but long enough to regroup and decide what to do? It’s possible. Either way it’s not a stable world, and it’s vulnerable to their interference.

Red stoplight. No friendly blues/greens here.

Now this is an interesting shot. It’s split-second, and marked by the virtual world’s fuzziness. Is this the MV’s answer to where’s LAY? They were 9, but they don’t remember? Or is it that D.O. is the one who remembers (this appeared during D.O’s sepia-toned segment around this timestamp)? It’s VERY split-second, but definitely there as you can see. They were/are 9 and that is present.

CHEN’s hands. Is this a callback to his Pathcode with the book he was reading there?

“CAUTION WET FLOOR”. It’s funny, but it’s also not; CHEN is at risk of electrocution if he isn’t careful. This world is crumbling. (And why, specifically, caution of water HERE, in a bathtub that seems to be *empty*? Unless the water is elsewhere, AKA SUHO. We don’t see CHEN and SUHO together much in this MV at all.)

This virtual world is vulnerable to their powers. Especially to D.O’s and CHEN’s. The ice/water based powers operate fine (XIUMIN, SUHO), but D.O. and CHEN’s powers are a threat to the virtual world, the KOKOBOP temporary haven.

The basketball from the previous MVs appeared here with CHANYEOL bouncing it and setting off fireworks in the colours of the stoplights. Malfunction? Full speed ahead? A declaration of breaking out, of war?

See both the stoplights at the back and the way the light looks around their feet, like taking off 3D glasses. This is a virtual world, and they’ve taken off the glasses. They’re prepared. They’re ready to see the virtual world as it is.

BAEKHYUN bouncing the basketball with his power of light. They’re breaking out.

The war begins.

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