BTS
About this project is a kpop boy band that focuses more on the aspects of hiphop. This is seen in their album tracklistings, their music, etc.
Their goal as a group is to create music that protects and fights for the youth- hence their name 'Bangtan Sonyeondan' translating to 'Bulletproof Boyscouts'.
"Our generation is going trough a lot of hardships in life, as well as facing a lot of prejudice and oppression. So it means we want to protect our generations’ thoughts and values from the prejudice that pours down on us like bullets."- Suga Throughout their music career, they have released albums in trilogies. Their first trilogy had the theme of 'school'. Their music fought about the stigma of following the traditional school, tests, college, and career route as well as finding/following your dream. Their second trilogy is about 'The Most Beautiful Moment in Life'- also known as Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa in Korean. This is the trilogy the project is about. The theme is 'youth' and 'adolescence', growing up and the sad parts about being young.
V
Jimin Sug a
Rap JHope Monster
There are 7 members. Jin
Jungkoo k
Their music videos for HYYH have a story to be told that is not directly stated. It is to be theorized and that is the whole point of this project.
There are many theories but mainly 2.
'Jin is dead' and 'Jin is alive'
'Jin is dead' is the basis of this project. I had originally planned to also go with the 'Jin is alive' theory, however I have realized it has too many holes and not enough support. Thus, I will only be going over it very lightly when needed as I go through the 'Jin is dead' theory. Thus, project theory: 'Jin is dead.'
Jin is dead.
Among the seven members of BTS, Jin has died and the whole video touches upon the other members' ways of coping with the severe loss.
-Support that Jin is dead- _______________________________________ [0:11] Jin is seen wearing white in an empty and white/neutral decorated room. White is worn by angels and ghosts who have passed onto the afterlife. It's a little hard to see on screenshot, but notice the dutch tilt-a sign of psychological uneasiness/tension. [1:43] When Jin lays white petals onto the ground, there are 6=> the rest of the members. He burns them as if to forget or let go. He also curls up in his bed as if in pain. Jin often has this dazed and lost look. Finding himself crying as if remembering a lost memory. [3:40] He is seen with a projection of the full flower on his heart. This is a sign that all the members are with him even if he is dead. And FINAL POINT. Jin is the only one in the video not seen doing something reckless.
________________________________________ All the members can be seen dazed and heavy in thought. They are remembering old times with Jin proven through the random interruptions of fun, happy scenes of all the members playing together constantly throughout the whole video.
-The rest of the members-
Each member has a different way of dealing with the loss of Jin:
Suga- suicide; fire. burning his room. Rapmon- ignorance. goes back to work. JHope- suicide; pills. addiction and overdose. Jimin- suicide; water. drowning in a tub. V- drinking; alcohol. anger; attacking father figure. Jungkook- ignorance/depression. wanders aimlessly.
-Individual Overviews-
_______________________________________
[Suga] is very straightforward. He's caged himself up all day in his motel room with clear emotional struggle based on the messiness of his room. He plays with a lighter and spends the day thinking before pouring gasoline everywhere and burning himself with the room.
[Rapmon] is more vague. He copes by working at the gasoline station, looking bored with a lollipop. As he tends to a rude customer, the customer drops money out the window and drives off pissing Rapmon off. He flips them out in a calm rage. As he drops his pop on the floor where the money is, the shot changes the pop to a cigarette- a sign to his real suffering. He's smoking as if he's eating a lollipop. Finally, theories suggest the gasoline station blew up near the end of the video, but is not a firm idea in the theory.
[JHope] is the only one that really carried out a clear cut suicide. He's suspected to have an addiction due to the fact that one of the memories shown in the video show him pouring his pills into a fire pit as if a sign of giving it up. Now he's becoming dependent once more, seeking for it as he reached into the cupboard. He seemed slightly reluctant to overdose because more than half the bottle slipped into the sink. He swallowed still a hefty amount and walked to a bridge in which I assume was a backup plan in case the pills don't work. However, he collapses on the sidewalk of the bridge and it is later revealed that he survives because for one second there is a scene where he opens his eyes.
[Jimin] has a fairly short run in the video. Throughout the video he is set in a bathtub. In the beginning we see him burning a Polaroid picture with a lighter before turning on the faucet and letting the water build up. Later on he is seen outside the tub with water overflowing- he's shivering and desperate. This could be him struggling between committing suicide and staying alive. He sinks himself into the tub several times and thrashes around. If he were to have died in the video it would be due to drowning. A mystery is why the water turned milky whenever he was going to sink into it.
[V] is the heaviest story line of them all. He copes Jin's death with drinking. This is seen with his excessive empty glass soju bottles outside his apartment. He seeks help in the form of his family as he ventures off on a journey that reveals to be his family home by the end of the video. (Connection: In real life, V is very family oriented.) He sees through a crack that his 'father' (commonly accepted in theory) is being abusive towards a girl in a school uniform that we can safely assume as a younger sister to V. More glass bottles can be seen outside the apartment- showing where V received his coping mechanism from- which leads V to a flash of anger as he attacks his father repeatedly in the abdomen with a glass bottle. Once it's too late, he realizes what he's done and backs off in regret crying, shaking, and screaming.
[Jungkook] is the youngest and has fallen into depression. He spends the whole day walking the streets with heavy thoughts seen through his facial expressions and style of walk. He's so caught up in remembering old, fun memories with Jin that when he bumps into some hooded figures, he gets into a fight out of force due to his lack of conscious ability. He gets attacked in an empty alley looking weak and uncaring for his own safety. He allows himself to be beat up and later on continues walking in that state. It is then seen that he stops in the middle of the road, the camera zooming towards his face with a yearning look, in which we can presume he gets into a car crash.
_______________________
Memories
-Final remarks-
_______________________
,[4:18-4:28] As V practically murders his father, the good memories flash in a vicious and frantic pattern. All the pent up frustration came crashing down on him. This indicates the emotions he was feeling at the time. Also, the way the scenes of their happiness at a hideout were played were delivered in more of a hasty, angst tone rather than a happy one.
Cigarette
[4:53] When Rapmon drops his lollipop, it turns into a cigarette. This is a turning point in the video because it hints to the fact that things have changed. A smoked cigarette can't be restored to its original state. More so, smoking is known to be addicting due to nicotine. Theorists believe this is a sign that things won't be able to go back to the The Ending way they used to be. The ending scene is a view of the body of water they are staring at. This is a foreshadow to what is to come in the next music video. As well as might be a hint as to how Jin died. **Very random but it will be explained later.
aka Butterfly
Not a music video, but an actual film made with their song, 'Butterfly', which further expands the story line of their trilogy.
-A continuation from I Need U- ___________________________________ This is a continuation from I Need U. The scene is set in an alleyway, a place V has run soon after hurting his father. He's still recovering from shock as he curls up into himself. [0:32] V notices the blood on himself and wipes it all off using a water bottle before [1:02] pulling out his phone to call someone. There is suspicion that he is calling Rap Monster. However the general gist of it is that he is calling one of the other 6 members considering his words when he seeks out for help. "Hyung. I want to see you, hyung."
The song 'Butterfly' Prologue Mix begins to play **Notice the use of the dutch tilt once again => psychological unease/tension
[1:35] Sometime after the incident, a new day starts. V lays on a mattress in an abandoned public pool. His friends are looking for him.
[1:48] V is looking at a Polaroid of the figure he had hurt/killed before. This is where we can assume it is his father, since there is a baby in the picture as well. (That we assume is V).
Jungkook Jimin
Rapmon
JHope
Suga V
[2:20] 5 members find V. Who's missing? Jin. The boys cheer up V in his obvious state of depression and serve as a good distraction to him as he keeps up a smile when they fool around with him. [2:32] Jungkook notices Jin in the bushes nearby and points him out.
**Jin is filming the rest of the members.
As Jin is once again disconnected from the rest of the group, the distance that is put between them symbolizes Jin's death. Filming/videos are associated with documentation and memories. He is no longer with the members and the fact that he is filming them is a sign of him looking through memories/living in the moment but In fact, we notice this in RUNÂ too. not really being there. [1:02] RUN MV And this pattern of Jin filming just goes on and on as the rest play around with each other through the expanse of the empty pool. [3:14] Jin is filming a butterfly in the grass. Then he looks up in sudden realization. As we see later in Run as Jin [2:48] well, the moments when he makes this face is when he is in a state of waking up from his dream like state and [3:00] remembering that he is not actually -Jin's death- __________________ there. __________ [3:14]
Prologue gives the foundation of Jin's death that is further portrayed and supported in RUN.
[3:29] & [3:31] Rapmonster lays a car on a water bottle and golf clubs it out onto a watered area in the pool. This is a sign of Jin's death and how he died. Notice how Jin is filming it in the back as well. Death diagnosis: A car crash that threw him into the water. Jin
-V and ledges-
V
is a very important detail to remember for the future videos. [3:54] Notice that while the members are sitting, V slips back into his little world and becomes tempted with the idea of jumping. This is the first sign of his repeated action.
[4:32] Rapmonster writes onto a window he fogged up with his breath "You need to survive". This entertains the idea that Jin is not in fact dead, but in the process of dying and that this message he writes on the window is to Jin. [5:07]The next scene is a campfire outside a bunker. The boys are crowded around on couches lying down and comfy. Jin pulls out a Polaroid of the sea and asks if they should head there.
[4:32] "You need to survive"
Regarding the Jin is alive theory
To tl;dr the theory, every member is dead but Jin. Support under this scene for this theory is that the members who have not spoken- rather used gestures to respond to Jin's question- are those who are actually dead. They have succeeded in their attempts of suicide. Earlier V and Rapmon spoke, thus the dead members thus far are JHope, Jungkook, Jimin, and Suga.
If you watch the video, notice the song playing in this scene.
Only those who listen to BTS music would notice this detail, however the song playing is 'Outro: Love is Not Over'.
But it is being played backwards.
This is a technique called 'backmasking'. We can hear the member Jungkook saying 'Help Me' when this song is played backwards. Is this a sign that 'Love is Over?' More about backmasking in references & links page.
So they go to the beach and here's more Jin filming everything. At these scenes, Jin participates in enjoying the beach but is never seen without his phone or his camera. After the beach they use the same black truck back to the gas station Rapmon works at. There, Rapmon takes a photo of Jin and Suga using Jin's Polaroid. Rapmon then puts the photo into the car's glove compartment.
[9:02]The scene after is arriving at a port in the sea. V looks up finding a big structure to climb and jump off of and he does so accordingly. The members try to stop him calling him to come down, and Jin is filming once again. [9:08] V puts on his hood like how he had his hood on in INU.
<- I Need U V
After credits roll [12:01] Jin is in the car on the port alone. He pulls out the photo Rapmon put into the glove compartment before.
[12:08] Jin looks at the photo only to be confused because he turns out to be the only one in the photo. If you recall earlier, Suga was also in the photo. This is another realization moment for him proving that he was not really with the others. He has left the boys behind in the real world. And finally notice that he is in the car that is in the middle of an island in the water. Another confirmed setting for his death. Repeating his death diagnosis: A car crash that threw his car into the water.
Support for Jin's Death
Further from the death of Jin, Run continues and expands further about actions from I Need U.
-Jin's DEATH- ______________________________________________
Jin is living in moments with the members when he isn't really there. Throughout the video, there are scenes where Jin is staring with a lost gaze as if he has come to a sudden realization.
________
Hints on Jin's death.
________
[1:13] V crosses out Jin against the wall with black spray paint. He is stripped of his jacket and wearing white (once again) with white as a symbol of passing. His body shape is outlined in red and in the shape of how it's done in crime scenes.
[3:15] Jimin kicks a ball out into the water in the video. Under this theory it is accepted that this is a hint towards Jin's death which involves being drowned in water.
[4:12] V uses red spray paint to write a big X across a car's front window during their rampage in the traffic tunnel. This is a hint that connects to Jin's death especially since it is similar to V crossing Jin out earlier. Jin's death involved a car crash.
[4:19] & [4:22] After their rampage at the traffic tunnel, they run away. Jin is the only one that is in the car, once more, driving up behind the rest of the members. He drives and catches up in which all the members run and jump into the extended outside trunk of the car. Notice that he is, once again, not engaging in rampant and reckless behavior.
[4:26] Jin catching up in the car.
[4:27] As they drive away, you notice that there are actually only 5 members in the back. The missing members are Rapmonster and Jin. This is because Jin isn't actually there and Rapmonster has been driving the truck this whole time.
Jimin V
JHope
Jungkook
Suga
POINT* Jin does not engage in activities with the members. Jungkook
[3:53] While the members are out playing in the grassy field, Jin is the only one sitting from a distance and watching them. Jungkook is the one to realize this and stares at him while Jin stares back.
________________________________________
-Jungkook's Repenting-
[IMPORTANT POINT] Jungkook is in a constant state of deep thought.Â
Throughout the video there are scenes of Jungkook staring blankly in deep thought while the other members are messing around. The members are doing reckless things to forget Jin/get over Jin. -Rapmon and V spraypainting in public - Jhope and Jimin are in a hospital for suicidal attempts/reasons. -Suga looks like he's been drinking due to his loose walk and constant head lolling.
Ex. their hangout is in a trailer.
Jungkook realizes how their actions will do nothing to bring Jin back. Jungkook thinks heavily upon their actions. [3:55] Jungkook is on top of the car during the rampage and thinking.
[2:23] Jungkook even tries to stop Suga from his drinking problem as they get into a fight and Jungkook looks desperate and pleading for him to stop.
Jimin
V
JHope Suga
Jungkook
[5:08] Jungkook looks back. The lighting is from the truck headlights (connection to his car crash in I Need U?). He has heavy thoughts in his mind. Rapmon
***Notice Jin isn't there.***
-V/Taehyung's significanceWater
Throughout the video we see V floating & thrashing in water. Not drowning because he did not seem to be suffering. In the beginning, the video opens with this:
[0:17]
A continuation from On Stage: Prologue The beginning scene in Run is a sign that it is a continuation from On Stage Prologue where the video ended with V jumping off the construction extension. The rest of the video slips in scenes of V in the water still or sometimes thrashing. His sweater has a design of band Nirvana. The word Nirvana means "an ideal place" and "a state of perfect happiness". The water seems to bring him something similar to that- saying V ran away from everything in an attempt to find peace Scene from On Stage: even though this isn't what an ideal Nirvana Prologue [10:07] should be for him. It is his temporary escape. What I mean when I say "isn't what an ideal Nirvana should be for him"; this water he is surrounded in seems more like purgatory, or a state between life and death, for V. He at times looks satisfied, and then looks like he is struggling and wants out. The ideal Nirvana for him is shown before in their videos- having fun and being with the group BTS.
The reason he jumped:
The build up with Jin's death and the fact that he had hurt/killed his father in I Need U. Support for this lies in the fact that he is wearing the same clothes with the hoodie up in both scenes.
I believe V has a special connection with Jin considering the attention of scenes and special interactions he has with Jin. This can be supported later on in Blood, Sweat, and Tears.
House of Cards [1:27] Jin is seen concentrating on making a house of cards while everyone else watches. He is so focused it's as if he is deep in trance in his own head. Bringing back our theory which is the fact that he is dead and remembering moments he had with his friends/living in a dream.
[1:35] V then swipes his hand and knocks it over once Jin has the top laid out. There are two situations that come from this action: 1. Like a tick in a dream, V swipes the house and momentarily wakes Jin up from his trance. He makes realization faces as he remembers what is really happening. -> A scene right after his face is V trashing in the water, which is a glimpse of reality. Jin is dead and V's suicide jump into water is an outcome of this reality. 2. There is a theory that the reason Jin died was because V took the girl from him in their last 'school themed' trilogy. In 'Boy In Luv' MV, Jin was pining after the main girl character, but in 'War of Hormone' MV, the girl chose V. Due to this, there has been a "drift" in the two's relationship, a reason why V is highlighted more in this series. And with V knocking over his house, it is a sign of that drift in their relationship.
________________________________
JHope and Jimin are in the hospital
-Touching briefly on other members-
For clear reasons, JHope has a substance abuse problem and tried to suicide through pills, and Jimin tried to suicide through water.
Rapmonster and V spray painting
[1:17] Rapmonster and V spend the video spray painting and running from the police. They've resorted to breaking the law as a way to cope.
[1:56] The police empty Rapmonster's backpack filled with spray paint bottles
Suga is emotional and resorts to drinking
By the way Suga lolls his head as he walks loosely and quickly, the sheer amounts of beer bottles, his rage fit, and his fight with Jungkook, it is clear that Suga has been coping by drinking.
Suga throws a chair during his rage and breaks the mirror on the wall. Before the mirror breaks the camera shows blue tinted white roses in a vase. Jin is associated with flowers in I Need U and the glass shattering right after is a symbol of things falling apart.
Forgotten addition to Jungkook's resentment
A powerfully filmed scene. The room is filled with partying BTS, zooming in to reveal a thoughtful Jungkook (rested in front of the couch right after his fight with Suga), and zooming back out to see everyone gone.
Meaning: Basic understanding is what Jungkook is seeing in his head. He is analyzing the actions they are doing. As well as a sign that things are not the way they used to be, that things have changed since Jin passed. ________________________________________________
-The ending-
[7:06] After the very long credits roll with clips of filming behind the scenes, there is an extended scene at the end that shows the boys from On Stage Prologue at the beach on the truck. If you count there are 7. [7:10] Then the scene flashes and it's a polaroid being held by someone.
Notice that in the Polaroid, one member is missing. If you count there are 6. It's Jin that is missing. (Able to tell by face and clothes) Notice the video for Run ends in a similar fashion to how On Stage Prologue ended. Jin had the same Polaroid by the end of it. [7:14] However the difference between those two is that it is revealed to be Jimin that is holding the Polaroid in Run. The scene zooms out to see the Polaroid being burned with a lighter. Seem familiar? The scene zooms out again and reveals Jimin from I Need U video burning the Polaroid. Run has revealed what Jimin was burning in their previous title song. The MV then proceeds to end with the pink petals falling just like how they started the MV in I Need U. The pink petals falling is a signature sign that connects these videos to one story/theory.
-Unanswered details- __________________________________________ Details in the video that I do not understand/ cannot find the meaning for.
[2:22] Rapmonster finds an Ace of clubs card in the pile of feathers after their pillow fight. A black butterfly is inked as a design on the card BUT within that butterfly, at an angle, you can see an additional CROW inked in the middle of that butterfly. Crows are affiliated with Jungkook (shown later) and Butterflies are a part of their song 'Butterfly', but what could it mean?
EXTRA INFORMATION: Details to know -Important symbols- ___________________________________________ Each member has a symbol that they are often seen with throughout the trilogy. Some are obvious and some are more vague. Some are more important than others. Rapmonster- lollipops and cigarettes Some of these symbols we see carry from the previous videos (I NEED U, OSP, & RUN). Suga- fire For example, Suga plays with a lighter in every video. Jin- flowers Rapmonster eats a lollipop/cigarette in every video. JHope- pills V has been standing on high edges since OSP. V- heights Jimin's been associated with water since INU. Jimin- apples and water JHope also has been seen with pills since INU. Jungkook- crow Jin with flowers in INU & RUN.
-The pairings-
_______________________________________________
Through the trilogy there has been a noticeable trend of pairings between the members. Basically we see two members with each other and interacting together more than with other members. There are 2 sets of pairings observed through the music videos. These are the HYYH Pairings and the BST Pairings.
-HYYH Pairings-
1. JHope and Jimin
**JHope taking care of Jimin
Shots of JHope and Jimin interaction through INU, OSP, and RUN
Remember that these two had a special connection in RUN as they were together at the hospital.
2. Rapmonster and V Rapmonster and V were seen mainly in RUN trying to run from the police and playing around in OSP.
3. Suga and Jungkook
**Jungkook blows out Suga's fire
**Suga comforting Jungkook
-BST Pairings1. JHope and V
Suga and Jungkook are more prominent throughout all three videos. Added Japanese MV shots*
2. Rapmonster and Jungkook
3. Suga and Jimin
Theoretical significance of the pairings
For BST pairings, it is included as a detail in the BST theory that within each pair there is a tempter and a temptee- one who poses as a Demian and another as a Sinclair. While these two intertwine with the likes of evil, the HYYH pairings are the opposite. The pair are together in order to help each other heal, or keep them away from the temptations of evil. We can also see them as HYYH 'youth' pairings and BST 'growth' pairings. The Demian and Sinclair of each pairing goes as follows: JHope- Demian; V- Sinclair Rapmonster- Demian; Jungkook- Sinclair Suga- Demian; Jimin- Sinclair
The Blood, Sweat, & Tears (BST) theory is connected but also a little different from the HYYH series videos. The idea of this song and the album it is in, 'WINGS', has to do with 'GROWTH'. I would like to claim this to be a 'literature-take' on the after events of youth.  The BST theory is actually quite big and pretty much can be considered its own theory. I will also be incorporating the Japanese MV version at the end of this. _____________________________________________________
-Theme-
This is an officially claimed statement by the group from their preview show for WINGS.
GROWTH & BOY MEETS TEMPTATION
The album glosses over different forms of temptation for each member portrayed through their solo songs. For these solo songs they each had their own individual films.
-The theory + literature connections-
______________________________
In the beginning. [0:45] This painting is Pieter Jin is looking at a painting. Bruegel's 'The Fall of the Rebel Angels' This is a fitting painting considering it portrays fallen angels- a war in heaven, fallen into evil/temptation. A quote from an article,"We know that the angels of heaven fell because of direct rebellion against God by siding with Lucifer, who corrupted the angels by sinful temptations."(Heather Lee)
Even more so about the theory, "This is a foreshadowing of the future events to come. Jin is the center focus of the music video and is the key symbol of tempted youth (which is ironic because he is the oldest in BTS)."
Hermann Hesse DEMIAN Blood, Sweat, & Tears is inspired by the novel 'Demian' in which we can see through overall theme and the excerpt Rapmonster reads around the bridge of the song in the video.
Rapmonster reads: He too was a tempter. He too was a link to the second. The evil world with which I no longer wanted to have anything to do."
But let's look at this later when we get there.
An Overview of Demian in two sentences.
There are two realms. One of innocence and light, and one of darkness and evil. We have Emil Sinclair who is considered a figure of innocence, who meets Max Demian, a figure that introduces Sinclair towards accepting the darker, evil realm as well. Source: clarowan "Demian became Sinclair's mentor...he told Sinclair that one should worship the world- including evil parts. Source: JusttAlly "...about a man reflecting on the actions of his youth, and how this shaped him as a person. Important characters Sinclair- a figure of innocence and light Demian- a temptation, catalyst, evil and dark Abraxas- a God that possesses both divine and satanic elements (mentioned by Demian to Sinclair) Eve- from the bible who eats the apple on the forbidden tree after falling into temptation.
MV
Usage in Blood, Sweat, & Tears
at the bridge, the audio cuts and a new one is played of Rapmonster reading the excerpt from Demian. characteristics from characters in the story can be seen portrayed through member behavior and activity in the music video . Individual Films Rapmonster also reads excerpts from Demian that pertains to the content of the film. Rapmonster also reads lines from their own songs. Individual Film Content #1 Jungkook- A nightmare-ish state about his hyungs #2 Jimin- Rehab in the mental hospital. Flashbacks of his suicide attempt. #3 V- A nightmare-ish take on his experience with family. (After 'killing' father). #4 Suga- A nightmare-ish state of a car crash (presumed to be Jungkook's.) Regret? #5 Rapmonster- Reflection of his past actions. #6 JHope- A nightmare-ish take on his treatment for his pill addiction. Mental hospital, drugs. #7 Jin- Recalling/creating memories. Trying to find something.
-The Theory- (KOREAN VERSION) The video starts with youth. (The theme to HYYH and its theory). It starts light, the boys walk into the museum holding toys. Suga's on a bike & playfully hits Jimin's head. Jimin's holding a slingshot, JHope has binoculars and holds the innocent character of curiosity as he studies the statue. [0:45] Jin, as the oldest and the one that is theoretically dead, has been exposed to temptation. He is fascinated by the painting that is about war in heaven; exposure to when innocence meets darkness. The painting symbolizes as a portal doorsomething we can see in the Japanese version. [1:27] Jungkook is seen with a lollipop in his mouth. Notice lollipops are associated with Rapmonster and as we stated earlier, he is a tempter. Jungkook at this stage is being introduced, like a baby, into the likes of temptation. [1:37] Rapmonster is seen in the process of creating/prepping absinthe- a green drink that is associated with Van Gogh whom drank it when creating his own pieces. (It makes you hallucinate). This is the next substance Rapmonster will introduce to Jungkook as we will see in the Japanese version. Notice at [1:41] that there is a flash right after of a picture of a crow being lit on fire. As we see in Jungkook's individual film #1, BEGIN, he is associated with crows. The act of burning Jungkook's symbol is a foreshadow/sign of his intent.
Jungkook is once more being exposed to the green substance that is melted from a candle. Assuming this is a type of drug that is pulling/hypnotizing Jungkook into becoming tempted.
The Last Supper The members are gathered around a table similar to the religious painting of the Last Supper. Jin is seen as the head of the table reigning him to hold a type of holy power.
The smog in Suga's room.
They actually revealed it at [3:12]Â
Hints at the location of Suga and Rapmonster in the building. The camera flips downwards from Suga's room to Rapmonster's and a main reason we can conclude that they are one floor apart is the smog coming from the ceiling in Rapmonster's room.
The effects of Absinthe Absinthe is an emerald colored alcoholic drink that originated in Sweden. It is known historically to be drank with a sugar cube that would be dipped in the alcohol before being set on fire above the cup. That is what Rapmonster is doing in the video. Absinthe is known to have hallucinogenic, euphoric, and arousal effects. In the video we will know when the side affects take into place when the colored liquid screen flashes. This shows up in both mv versions.
JHope shooting V
An action that happens once per music video, JHope takes on the role of an archer that aims and shoots at V. As previously stated, JHope is the Demian (tempter) to V, thus him being shot can signify his efforts to tempt V just as Rapmonster tried with Jungkook. The second shoot is the JPN version. It is a quick flash in the video, but V's face is seen for a fraction of a second right after JHope lets go of his The presence of Eve. The statue that sits right behind JHope is considered to be Eve- arrow. V's face is the quick scene I the biblical figure that had fallen for temptation and eaten an apple off the forbidden tree. This may be a supporting sign that JHope is managed to snapshot. among those that have fallen for temptation, hence he is a Demian figure. Green Smoke
The presence of Eve [1:52]
[2:56]
[3:01] In the presence of Jungkook, there is green smoke filling the room in one scene per version. It speculates to be another one of Rapmonster's tactics to keep him under control.
Suga's attempt to tempt
[3:13] Suga is the Demian to Jimin's Sinclair. Suga blindfolds him to become blinded into the darkness and unable to find the light.
The Apple Notice how throughout the videos Jimin is holding or eating an apple. This started with his individual film LIE. The apple is a symbol connected to Eve. It is an item that blinds him just like Jungkook's lollipop.
Iffy Details- Tied to the Door
[3:55] Interestingly, Suga ties Jimin to the door making the door look shut. The scene prior to this was of that exact same door opening up to reveal a smiling V sitting on the balcony before jumping off. This can have several interpretations such as V won't come back, V is not allowed to return, etc. Very iffy on this observed detail.
V under the sheets and Jungkook in the air
[3:40] Is one of the many scenes shown with V being hidden under a sheet as he looks up and touches it. Details for this is uncertain, I would suspect it is a sign that he is being kept from escaping temptation. [3:36] Is one of the many scenes shown with Jungkook flying in the air, feathers surrounding him. There is a theory coinciding with the painting behind him that I will not discuss, but will link the article to it at the reference page. However the whole idea of him floating/flying could be connected with his symbol being affiliated with the crow. Also given the fact that he is not on the ground means he has no control over himself any longer. The Hands [3:54] There are hands that cover Jin's face in the video and then progressively unravel to reveal his face. This is assuming to be him being held back from seeing something he is not supposed to see. But from what exactly?
Rapmon reads Demian
[4:04]
"He too was a tempter. He too was a link to the second. The evil world with which I no longer wanted to have anything to do."
This excerpt reveals that Jin was exposed to temptation and played with it, before deciding he wants nothing to do with it anymore. The scene is entirely red while he and the balloon is in black. He lets go of the balloon soon after and reaches for it. The balloon being a symbol for youth and how Jin's youth has gone away. This ties in with BST's theme 'growth'.
[4:12]
Staying Behind
[4:37] All the members except for V and Jin run through the back door of the museum (and in a playful way). The door is very well lit and is considered to be the members running to innocence. The fact that V looked back and stayed behind shows that he is one to not be considered of innocence. Throughout the HYYH series he's been shown to have suicidal tendencies by standing on edges of high platforms which could be a partial reason as to why this is so. [4:51] V covers Jin's eyes from the view behind him. When the camera shot shows his fingers unraveling, there is a statue that lies before him that sports large, black wings. It is safe to assume that this view was not there beforehand.
Sealing the Deal
[4:53] From here, Jin walks up to the statue in a seemingly calm manner as the scene switches constantly from Jin to a figure being unveiled in a black room. A cloth lifts and it has the viewer thinking of V earlier who had been covered in the cloth as well.
Jin kisses the statue. [5:24] The action of Jin kissing the statue is considered an action of 'sealing a contract'. With a statue that has black wings, we can only imagine that it is a devil of some sort, BUT it makes more sense to believe this is the God Abraxas himself considering the statue is WHITE and the wings are BLACK making it possess both aspects of light and dark; innocence and evil. According to the excerpt, Jin seemed reluctant to make the contract with the devil. A reason Jin could have made the contract was because he had no choice but to move forward because as we think along the lines of growth, we aren't able to become younger again.
The Big Reveal
[5:25] & [5:32] The figure turns out to be V. Makes sense now that he was the one who closed Jin's view with his hands and exposed him to the contract sealing ceremony. The question is whether V is the God Abraxas or a devil.
Things start to bleed colorfully [5:37] & [5:42] The aftermath of Jin's sealed contract ensues. The statue cracks, paint seeps, and Jimin is crying green tears. The colored bleeding can be considered youth seeping out since the colors are in vibrant, preschool-ish colors.
The German quote on the wall [5:50] Eve is breaking
[5:45] Jin is seen looking either at the mirror or the quote on the wall above it. I cannot type it out word for word, but the quote in English translation goes as follows:
"You must have chaos in you to give birth to a dancing star."- Friedrich Nietzche
This certainly qualifies the whole idea of Abraxas and Demian in the whole BST theory. [5:56] Jin stares at the flowers, a symbol of the other members and his youth, before seeing his face cracking [6:00]. A sign of growth. His youth is over.
-The Theory- (JAPANESE VERSION) The Japanese version takes place in another dimension/world that Jin sees through the painting, "The Fall of the Rebel Angels", that he was looking at in the Korean version.
[00:00] Jungkook is lying on a bed, similarly he was doing so in the Korean version as well. This is a setting of Jungkook waking up in another type of dimension. Left behind on the bed is what looks like a mark of wings showing he has lost his youth. The wings left on the bed can refer him to be a devil as in the Korean version V had his wings ripped off his back.
The dimension
The trend of the dimension seems to be negative filters, neon colors, and paint patterns throughout the sets.
We can see some of these colors in the Korean version as well. Shows the connection between the two music videos and progression from one dimension to another.
The Painting
The painting is altered to the dimension in the Japanese version to where it looks like it was painted with completely different colors. Here we can see differences to notice in color around the painting as well. In KOR, Jin is wearing white, the walls of the museum are white, while in JPN, Jin is wearing black and it is resting on a black wall. Indicating opposites. [0:29] In the JPN, Jin is looking through the painting using binoculars. The video zooms through the painting and we see the demonic statue that Jin sealed the contract with, as well as the fingers of V closing over his vision once more. This could mean that the painting is a portal- right through the painting is the museum.
KOR JPN
[0:36]
[0:37]
Here are shots of the statue being seen through two circles- the lens of Jin's binocularsand (easier to see in video) how V's fingers close in on the vision. The circle view can signify that the binoculars are special and you need them in order to see through the next dimension. Also, notice how the filter is now red around the museum. This could be another aftermath of growth.
It really is Absinthe. Absinthe in the KOR version was all but a theory, but JPN version really confirmed it. [0:51] shows a bottle that Rapmonster is holding to feed to Jungkook. It is a liquor bottle that says 'ABSENTE'- that is "brand name of 110 proof anise liqueur" (wikipedia). Basically a brand name for a type of absinthe.
[1:06] When Rapmonster makes Jungkook drink the absinthe, we get quick flashes of Jungkook in the KOR version taking in that green substance from the candle- possibly absinthe due to its color. [1:09] Jungkook starts to feel the affects, the main being hallucination, instantaneously. The colors around him intensify and the screen starts to distort.
[1:12] Immediately after we see Jin in the back of his truck that is in the sea. This is Jungkook's initial thoughts after reacting to the hallucinations of the absinthe- he is thinking of Jin's death.
Connection to INU [1:18] Is a shot closer to Jin on the back of his truck. He is curled up as if suffering, in pain, or resting. This is comparable to his similar position in INU.
[1.29] Jin in INU is on the right. Notice the color difference. In INU Jin is wearing white on a white bed while in BST JPN he is wearing black on a black truck. Signs of diferent dimensions?
An HYYH Pairing [1:20] Jungkook stumbles in the bathroom to puke up the absinthe he was forced to swallow down. (Notice it's green coming out of his mouth.) Immediately after a worried and frantic Suga comes in to help him. Notice that this is a HYYH pairing. My earlier theory stated that HYYH pairings are there to heal each other/help each other and this supports the statement. Actually Jungkook fights Suga, which is the opposite that happened in RUN. which can hint more at another dimension. [1:21] The colorful water screen shows up again as a sign that shows the affect of absinthe taking into place.
[1.29] Jin looks away and pulls off the binoculars showing that, based on his gesture, he is watching things happen before him that disturb or bother him in some way.
The Sinclairs
[1:41] Jimin, V, and Jungkook are all the temptees. (Sudden thought: Which make sense in an age sense because they are considered the 'maknae line' aka the youngest in the group = HYYH THEME->YOUTH.) Here we see Jimin and Jungkook holding V back as if getting ready for him to be attacked at.
[1:42] In one frame we see JHope feeling his arrow again, but in a different color setting. Notice the statue is yellow in the background. Within the same second, another frame quickly shows JHope aiming a dart at V as the others hold him down. Notice the cynical faces of Jimin and Jungkook. We can tell the one holding the dart is JHope because of his sleeve. It can't be Jin because he is wearing something different in this scene to be shown after.
[1:49] JHope shoots his arrow once more like in KOR version at V. The main difference is the colors. The spill looks like it is in negative colors compared to the KOR version.
Connection to HYYH [1:58] We see JHope pouring his pills again just like in HYYH.
The Attack
[2:05] Jin is attacking V very violently and harshly. At this time the song immediately cuts and Jin says ' 미ě&#x2022;&#x2C6;í&#x2022;´ (Mianhe)' which is the informal way to say sorry to someone in Korean. It possibly shows that Jin does not want to do this but is beating V up because he has to. This refers back to the excerpt in KOR version. "...The evil world with which I no longer wanted to have anything to do." Jin was fighting V as the devil because he did not want to Two theories do anything with the evil world any longer. I can come up with two solid theories to this happening. 1. Following V is the devil. Jin is fighting back the evil world and manages to grasp connections to the other Sinclairs to fight back V. JHope could be a protecting archer with his bow and arrow and is targeting V to assist as well. 2. V is not a devil, but truly a Sinclair while Jin has become a devil from sealing his contract. Jin is a devil trying to make everyone fall into temptation thus V is the last one to succumb to it thus they target him once and for all. However this theory disregards V's exposure in the KOR version where he had ripped wings on his back. [0:21] V gets high. Notice earlier in the beginning of the music video we see V wandering around as if high. From this scene, we can conclude that his high wandering was an aftermath of these two events- JHope's arrow and/or Jin's attack. [2:18] & [2:19]
Jungkook again [2:11] Jungkook is suffering through another hallucination again. Notice he's on his bed and he's just suffering the trip with the background being what is going on in his mind. Rapmonster is the first thing he thinks about this time.
Connection to KOR [2:24] V walking through a room with sheets that are similar to the ones he was covered in KOR version. He is outside the sheets this time signifying he is perhaps let loose in this dimension. [2:30] From here he crawls out the window to another high setting platform. More connections to suicidal tendencies and his past HYYH self.
The Archer
[2:52] JHope does the 'archer' pose while the background explodes into color. This is support to confirm that indeed JHope is the archer figure- possibly like an Archangel? Makes sense since he has been sitting on a throne, in a tub of water in front of Eve, and has been sporting a bow and arrow throughout both KOR and JPN versions. The only question is why? Considering he has been shooting V, he could have been trying to protect the rest of the members and stop the devil this whole time.
Two Jimins
In the video we have two Jimins. The first one is one that sports a tasseled over sized sweater that is eating the apple of temptation. The second Jimin is wearing a white button up and sits contemplating whether or not to eat the apple. The second Jimin looks similar to how Jimin looked in his individual film 'LIE'. This can make him be considered as an 'older' version of Jimin.
Jimin is looking for himself.
[3:04] Notice how he's coming from the light into the dark. Jimin one is looking for Jimin two. For reasons I have unexplained. However there is a saying that goes a doppleganger cannot see the other or else one dies.
BST Jimin two v. Individual Film 'LIE' Jimin
Found [3:13] Jimin one finds the other. Suga appears to be in the room and at [3:12] covers Jimin two's eyes due to the saying. As this happens, Jimin two drops his apple, and Jimin one suddenly gets pushed back [3:14] as if he had seen his other half and is now being sent to death. (picture below)
[3:17] Jin saw all of it. He once again pulls back his lenses and he is now facing away from the painting as it is behind him. There is shattered glass in the air as if the banishment of Jimin one had changed something in the dimension.
Rapmonster's hands [3:22] For some unknown reason Rapmonster has injuries on his hands. Something could have happened perhaps he got into a fight with V or JHope. Considering he was watching JHope shoot V with a dart. Although otherwise unknown detail.
The Portal [3:27] The painting Jin has been standing in front of the whole time really has been a portal as the JPN version proves it with the scene here. The portal could take Jin to the KOR version dimension.
Archangel Hope [3:31] JHope is staring at a pair of wings located in the sky/higher ground. This is support to show that JHope could really be the protector figure/Archangel protecting the members and trying to stop the devil V.
Shatter
Petals Fall [3:46]
[3:37] Jin looks perplexed before the background turns blue and glass shatters as if signifying the end of his time seeing all these events in the dimension. Notice how his sweater is ripped where his heart is supposed to be. [3:46] A sign to the end of this series! The petals falling has been an opening and ending scene for this series ever since INU. The appearance of this scene shows that the story is over and theorists can possibly be put to rest. Let's compare.
INU RUN
Tying it all together
[3:55] Unexpectedly, we are back at the gas station Rapmonster is working at in INU era. Notice he still has the lollipop. A car pulls up and [4:00] the driver hands him a lighter.
[4:04] Rapmonster is surprised because he finds out that it's actually Jin who is in the car. Rapmonster says "Jin hyung!" Jin says a line once he rolls the window down. "오랜만이다 (Orenmanida)" which means "Long time no see" in Korean. One theory with this scene is that Jin is the devil as he hands over to Rapmonster a lighter- a catalyst to start smoking. However, we can also theorize that Jin has 'grown up' and has come back as a new person and handing the lighter is a symbol of his grown up self as smoking is a very much adult thing to do. Otherwise it is unclear how else to interpret this ending.
The End.
Conclusion Overview- Main Points
Theory: Jin is Dead. __ HYYH INU Jin's death diagnosis: A car accident that threw the car into the water. Every member went through a sort of crisis and self destructive action in order to cope to represent youth. V committed a grave sin that led him to have repeated suicidal tendencies throughout the rest of the series. HYYH OSP Jin is constantly filming as a form of looking through fun memories with the rest of the members. He isn't actually there. Rather he is just living in his own head, whilst the members act as if he is there. V runs off the high platform and into the water wearing the same clothes as he stabbed his father. HYYH RUN Jin does not engage in destructive behavior with the other members. Jungkook is repenting and rethinking what they are doing. He tries to stop Suga from drinking, but they engage in a fight. Run is a symbol that things won't be the same. V in the water represents his act of running away as he did not choke or suffer in the water. The Two Pairings HYYH Pairings are pairings that are of youth. They support, heal, and suffer together. BST Pairings are pairings that tempt and pull. One is toxic and is pulled by temptation while the other is innocent and is being targeted to fall. BST Theory Based off of the literature piece Demian. To portray the story of GROWTH. Jin looks at a painting. The video starts with signs of youth. Throughout the video we see Rapmonster trying to tempt Jungkook. The statue is Abraxas. V is suspected to be the demon. Perhaps even Abraxas. JHope is actually trying to stop V. Jin no longer wants to associate with the 'second world'. He tries to fight back. The story ends back at Rapmonster's gas station with Jin handing him a lighter. Jin has shown signs of growth.
HNGHHH This was hard. Thanks for reading! :)
Music Videos
-References and Links-
I Need U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjskoRh8GTE
On Stage Prologue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt8648TNX1M
RUN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Wn85Ge22FQ
Blood, Sweat, & Tears
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmE9f-TEutc
Blood, Sweat, & Tears (Japanese version) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OX7dIRReSA&t=1s
BTS Individual Films https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=yR73I0z5ms0&list=PLbBt_6s8CB1jfg52jYZrPO6SH8SIO7CsR
Articles & Theory videos
Heather Lee- What's the story behind BTS's Blood, Sweat and Tears MV?https://www.quora.com/Whats-the-story-behind-BTSs-Blood-Sweatand-Tears-MV?ref=fb JusttAlly theory videos- https://www.youtube.com/playlist? list=PL_8wcV7NSam1nvz3XDKPy-CrACS_RQdbH
OUTRO: Love is Not Over
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfVO2WtaqNs
[BACKMASKED] OUTRO: Love is Not Over https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4TshzfB9HQ
Google Doc for these links https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cl7Mjm9tc5AXkaFOiP5CBiTL4b2Gc_GOAuAEo4Gb0I/edit?usp=sharing
INU +RUN CHOREO Analysis
BTS Theory: I NEED U + RUN (Dance Version) By Vee Crown https://www.youtube.com /watch? annotation_id=annotation_ 3811968965&feature=iv &src_vid=VudPpJiSJlg&v =7C7lc_zT9RA
MORE ABOUT BACKMASKING IN BTS MUSIC
Backmasking- "a deliberate technique musicians use to hide messages in their songs." These messages can be heard when the song is played backwards/reverse and is very difficult to do. Here is a mass post of a bunch of BTS songs from their HYYH album with tons of possible hidden meanings. http://aminoapps.com/page/btsarmy/1363052/bts-songs-reversed-lyrics