Loonaverse Theory: part 1 / part 2 (current) / part 3 / part 4 / part 5 | part 6 |
In my article on Heejin's solo, I described how "ViViD" introduced us to the Loonaverse by suggesting that the new group will be different, colorful and fun. And have they achieved that? The next group of Loona's releases covers a wide variety of topics, andiIf we find comparative meaning behind all their videos, we can learn that this culture values specific things:
- "ViViD" illustrates how the universe was created to rebel against a stagnant society void of expression,
- "Around You" proves the importance of vulnerability and self-reflection to identity,
- "I'll Be There," "My Melody" and "My Sunday" shows how relationships create eternal and meaningful bonds,
- "Let Me In" is a how-to guide of confronting your darkest thoughts and becoming your most honest self,
- and "The Carol" emphasizes the first third of the Loonaverse as a utopian society
Let's begin!
Man & Nature - Around You
Hyunjin's solo, "Around You," has a plot twist that can be interpreted (at least) two ways: either Hyunjin was a cat all along, or her new cat head is a metaphorical expression for the way she feels. Either way, the story is set up to suggest a struggle between Hyunjin, our man, and the cats, our nature. Cats are known to carefully stalk their prey; in the wild, they seem invisible until they strike. Like a cat, Hyunjin has been stalking her love interest silently. "I look at you while hiding, everyday." But, unlike a cat, she takes no pleasure from being a silent predator. "I can't get my courage up / I just leave again without a word." The visual comparison between her and the cat is actually a sad one; she walks the street feeling like a freak, either completely ignored or getting attention for the wrong reasons.
On a personal scale, this is a coming-of-age love story; but on the loonaversal scale, the video is about the difference between animal and man. The video deliberately blurs the line between human and cat: if Hyunjin stalks like a cat, is she a cat? If she is as invisible as a cat, is she living as a cat?
Ultimately, I would argue that, no, Hyunjin is not a cat, because she actually has complex emotions. These feelings are symbolized in the letters she carries around; these are expressions that a cat does not have the capacity for (sorry to cat lovers). Evem when wearing the cat mask, Hyunjin is always pictured as looking into the distance, thinking, self-reflecting and meditating on things that actual cats would never bother to. If "ViViD" ended with Heejin bursting creativity and art into the dull world, "Around You" illustrates how art, vulnerability and expression is what differentiates people from beasts.
Man & Man - I'll Be There & My Melody
"I'll Be There" and "My Melody" both feature friendships. "I'll be There" is a cheerful, colorful video that features a date, beginning during the day and carrying on into the night, impling an eternal friendship between Heejin and Hyunjin. Even the titular phrase "I will be there" is suggestive of their strong bond. "My Melody" is thematically similar, but the lyrics focus more on the girls' adoration of each other: "even brighter today, starry eyes." The song is more mellow and relaxed, fitting Yeojin's sweet and soft vocal tone and giving Haseul a chance to show off her fantastic vocal control.
Like "Around You," these pair of duets are set in a city backdrop. But, both videos, especially Hyunjin and Heejin's, have a happy bright view of the city, instead of solo Hyunjin's gloomy almost black-and-white perspective. "I'll Be There"has given a retro city pop, VHS vibe, and "My Melody" is similarly filmed selca-style. The use of personal, home videos suggests that the girls have a deep, maybe even familial, relationship.
"I'll Be There" and "My Melody" places the upmost importance on friendship, illustration that they are perhaps the highest form of personal relationship. In one of the oldest myths that even pre-exists the patriarchy (probably), The Descent of Inanna, the goddess Inanna goes through a journey to the underworld and when she returns, her illusions about herself and her husband, Dumuzi, have been broken; she learns he was unfaithful and attempted to take her throne. He goes into hiding with his sister, Geshinanna. Eventually, he is found, but in the process Inanna and Geshinanna's paths have crossed, and they have formed a bond: they are both in morning over Dumunzi, as he is sent in Inanna's stead to the underworld because of his transgressions. This is an example of a friendship that formed after a great personal struggle, in which Inanna was forced to question both herself and her relationships. My point in sharing this is to illustrate that there are ancient precedents that suggest that female friendships are the highest bonds one can achieve, especially when times are sorrow and dire. "24/7 (I'll be there) / 365 (I'll be there)"
Related: The Oh My Girl Music Video that Ushered in A Spiritual and Cultural Revolution
Man & Man - My Sunday
Audibly, "My Sunday" has the same prototype as "My Melody," and visually, "My Sunday" has basically the same look as "I'll Be There." However, I would argue that "My Sunday" is told with a narrative that mimics a love story more than just a friendship. I am not arguing that Heejin and Hyunjin are meant to be canonically in love (though why not tbh), but that the video presents itself as the tale of a romantic relationship: hand-holding, cuddling, "indescribable attraction." Eyes emoji.
Overall, having three videos dedicated to relationships between women illustrates the importance that the Loonaverse puts on the deep bonds between the girls, whether romance or friendship or whatever.
Watch some MVs that are actual lesbian love stories right here.
Man & Self - Let Me In
"Let Me In" is a very classic tale about coming to terms with your identity by meeting a shadow version of yourself. It is set in a very different place from the other videos, a cold world with just one person, Haseul. She has been compelled there for some reason, and she has left civilization to go adventuring. She has accepted the call to action.
One does not venture deep into the forests without good reason. One has already felt some loss, something missing, in the ordinary routines of life. One has begun to search the depths of the unconsciousness for what is essential to growth, to change, to wholeness.Read more about this is in my analysis of Oh My Girl's "Closer."
As any student of fantasy knows, going adventuring in a strange landscape is the only way to come-of-age. Haseul travels "inside my heart, the place that is deep and dark." She faces her fears, anxieties and other dark qualities by hunting the shadow of herself, who is represented by a white bird, which I assume is a dove. To unlock her full potential, Haseul must accept her flaws by defeating her representative animal. "Will I be you? Or will you be me?" By facing her negative qualities, Haseul is flirting with the possibility that she is not as good a person as she may believe herself to be. She voices these concerns in the lyrics and is wondering if she is defined by her bad, dark qualities or her daylight, obvious ones.
Haseul is surrounded by suggestions of height, flight and birds, such as airplanes (both paper and metal), feathers, mountain and twigs for a nest. These things all represent the freedom and ascension she will obtain after she learns to become the best version of herself. The lyrics speak of becoming one person from two: "I'm becoming you / The two of us were once very different" (eng source). In the dramatic moment, Haseul looses all her pretentious, which are the diamonds she drops, and uses to shoot her animal guide. In the end, she realizes her identity, which is suggested in the phrase "the girl is the boy's girl," which is a pun in Korean, meaning that we should not take it completely at face value. It is a declaration of love, but also an allegory for the fact that Haseul has found her place in the world; she has confronted both her failures and hopes and comes back mature enough to realize her personal aspirations and wishes. Haseul has illustrated the importance of discovering and accepting your true self within the universe that Loona is creating.
Man & Society - "The Carol"
"The Carol" is once again set in the city, with most of the girls of 1/3. Now that we have defined the significance of art, nature, friendship and the ego, we move on to the largest antagonist yet: society. We see the girls participating in a tradition that has lasted thousands of years: Christmas! They go through the motions of buying presents, window shopping, enjoying sweets, waiting for Santa in their pajamas, etc. Christmas and Christianity are traditions that emphases purity and wholeness, and the girls dutifully follow the rules of society and find happiness and nostalgia in celebrating an exiting day together. It is a tradition that happens every year without fail, based in the deepest roots of culture.
Now that a group of people have come together, we can truly call the Loonaverse a society: it is sophisticated and meaningful to its participants. But, how does this universe compare to ours? So far, it seems like a utopia; the biggest crises are romantic longing and confronting your shadow-self (and winning). However, as we learn from Usrula le Guin, for every utopia, there is a dystopia in sight.
Stay tuned for the next part of the theory! Follow us on twitter
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