[Note: This series originally started as a project on Reddit. You can find an explanation of what Bible Study is all about here.]
Now that we have finished discussing Fever Pt.2, we thought we should pause for a look at the music video and see if we can glean new insights from it.
Join us as we finally figure out how to make the music video and diary fit together!
01: what is the overall story of the diary?
GD: Shall we start with part 1, then? What is the story of the second diary book so far?
Bobby: Yes, hop right in
GD: We travel to Strictland, and it's immediately a lot. They want to protect the cromer because they believe it to be the key to returning home, but they don't appear to know what they're doing. The android guardians are chasing after them, and San tells us that this world is like the world he came from, but also different. The android guardians are able to take back the cromer, and the group is given safety by the Grimes siblings. They teach us the history of the world and what Z's reign looks like. As they befriend them, the quest to get the cromer back morphs into two quests: get the cromer back and help the Grimes girl get her voice back, which is being held in a the dump. So they split into two teams, one to get the voice and one to confront Left Eye, who knows where the android guardian bunker is. While attempting to retrieve the voice, Jongho is affected by the yellow smoke and starts to hallucinate that he is at the basketball game where he hurt his leg. Meanwhile, Yunho confronts Left Eye and tells him his daughter is dead, that he must stop living in an illusion, and come back to reality.
And that's what I remember off the top of my head
Bobby: Plus the cliffhangers at the end--Jongho literally running towards a cliff and Left Eye attacking Yunho
GD: Right, at the end of this diary book, two of the 8 appear to be in mortal peril? And I think it's interesting that both books end with the members basically alone
Bobby: Well, the ones we know of seem alone, but we also know they split up into teams
Yunho isn't confronting Left Eye alone, but the other team members are weirdly silent or absent for the confrontation. We also know that at least Yeosang is on trash cave team and was close enough to come to his rescue at the last minute. By his I mean Jongho, obvs. But the way the diaries are framed, they do seem isolated still
GD: Right, I think that's what I feel at the end, that they are still isolated from each other. They're both with the other members presumably, but somehow still apart from them
Bobby: Does it feel like we've progressed at all since part 1? Like, we should have, but have we actually?
GD: I suppose.... Well….
I suppose it depends on what you think the overarching story of the diaries is? If the overarching story is for them to learn to rely on each other and become a team, I think we've made only the smallest of progress. If you think it's to have a big adventure in another world, then they're actually moving through the strictland story at a quick clip.
Does that make sense?
Bobby: Yes. And I feel like the latter is just the vehicle for the first
GD: I agree with you, and I think the intern agrees with us. I am not sure that is how most Atinys see the lore
Bobby: Well, how other Atinys feel is unimportant
Should we discuss setting before we move on? We do get more details about the sort of world this is. Well, not more since this is the first time we've been here technically. It's difficult for me to divorce the imagery of the MV from the setting of the diary. But we know there's a forest area where the Grimes siblings live in a cave. So the Strictland warehouse is also on the outskirts like the A universe warehouse
We also know there's a city or industrial kind of area that seems to be heavily populated. We have no indication that it's a long journey to get from one area to the other, as they seem to be able to travel back and forth
GD: If I was to imagine the world of Strictland based on the text, I would not imagine the world that we're shown in Fireworks
Bobby: Further narrative thoughts before we move on to the mv?
GD: I suppose my main thought is that there is a lot of exposition about where they are and not a lot about how they feel: until we get to Yunho and Jongho's end scenes. And I think that's why it feels like we don't really have their internal character arcs progress very much
Bobby: Well, Yeosang is a big one. Right in the middle
GD: Ah yes
Bobby: We know exactly how he's feeling, but he's not conflicted any longer
GD: He's almost forgettable because it's so out of context with the rest of the story?
Bobby: It's odd because his whole deal is that he's going to stay with these other boys but he seems so isolated when he's saying it
GD: Like when I think on total narrative, his is harder for me to recall because it didn't flow with what was otherwise happening
You're right. He's made the decision to be with this group, but he's made it alone. Perhaps that says something about what he feels like his place in the group is? Like, he has decided he wants to be in it, but doesn't necessarily see how he fits yet. Because we know he sort of self sacrifices to further the group goals, despite the group not wanting him to do that
Bobby: I feel like, based on his later actions, he's not waiting to figure that out. He's almost bulldozing his way in
And I find that so. . . charming? Admirable?
Like whether or not he's been accepted, the important thing for him was to accept. To open up and let these friends in
GD: It's funny because we know they do actually accept him. He doesn't have to do all that. But I suppose, this means we have seen a lot of movement in Yeosang's story arc
Bobby: Well, I think it's not for them, it's for Yeosang. He needed to make that move, not them
Like, he needed to prove it to himself
02: what is the overall story of the MV?
[Editor’s Note: We get momentarily distracted by the Babies on Studio Choom and a broken mouse]
Bobby: I'm still catching up because my nephew had to tell me all about his Cam Jansen book and the deal he made with my sister to get a Lego Harry Potter set
GD: Oh that's fun
I have watched it and I have Thoughts
Bobby: I also have Thoughts but first, what's the story
GD: The group arrives at a desolate town filled with yellow smoke. And a couple of members appear to be preparing for something? Seonghwa is practicing shooting, Yeosang may be keeping a look out? Yunho is driving--perhaps to prepare or perhaps he's going somewhere--Hongjoong is looking for something and eventually turns on the power.
Bobby: I assume he was looking for the switch. Fireworks feels very much disconnected from the story of the diary, far more than Inception
GD: Right
Bobby: There's some overlap in that we've entered a world and are on some sort of mission
But the characters they play in the MV are in a completely different emotional state than the diaries
GD: Well, I had a thought about Yeosang. He's alone on that tower, surveying, and it does remind me of him being alone writing this note. Both scenes to me feel very like, ugh, I can't think of the word. But they're both disconnected from the action, and Yeosang has this quality of almost being wise beyond what's happening?
Like the MV frames him almost godlike?
Bobby: Reminds me a bit of The Real
GD: I had the same thought.
I also think Yunho driving could represent him having a clear forward goal: he wants to help Left Eye. And I think that his scene, more so than say Wooyoung or Jongho's scenes, feels like he knows what he's doing and has a plan. I suppose the metaphor here being that he's in control. He's driving and knows where he's going.
Bobby: Narratively speaking, the way the Guardian is portrayed is different from what we see in the diary. There they are working in groups and are just destructive and a bit bumbling? Here, he's slowly stalking behind them. This lone guardian feels much more menacing than the ones in the diary
GD: Remind me of MV canon.. the first time we see a guardian is in Answer? And then this is the second time?
Bobby: Yes. But, as far as we know, this would be his first appearance chronologically
GD: Right
Bobby: Setting wise, we have the yellow smoke and the city in the distance
I don't know if any of these settings are meant to portray the dump
The underground scenes (they feel underground anyway) remind me of so many video game sections I've played. Abandoned tunnels, trains, that sort of thing--very common. But it also makes me wonder if there are abandoned cities around because Z pushed everyone into a more central location in order to be more easily controlled
GD: That was the thought that I had? Like, them approaching this city is just them approaching the dump.. the whole city is the dump. The actual people live in a new and beautiful city controlled by Z
I think normally we imagine new governments sort of building on top of the old and replacing them. But, maybe Z went for a "abandon ideas and marks of the past" which falls in line with the idea of erasing memories.
Bobby: It feels like instead of leaving things around to be rediscovered, he would have wanted to destroy them completely. Tear down the old and build the new on top. Like Disney building Star Wars land on top of the old desert
And I also wonder why Z didn't actually destroy all the artwork Yunho uncovers. I'm very far off topic, but Tea once talked about a theory of Z being a failed artist. Perhaps he just couldn't bear to really destroy art in the end. He could only hide it away
GD: I think if he wanted to completely tear down a full city and rebuild it, that gives him some logistical concerns, as opposed to picking one city and adding on to it or building it up. But, I do think the "this city of the past is where we will keep our trash" is pretty consistent with his philosophy
Bobby: Yes, I do like the idea of taking a city and just referring to it as "the dump,” Making it a literal garbage place
GD: I just don't think this city is meant to be a place where people live. There's no indication in any of the books that Z wants people to constantly be high off this illusion smoke, not that he's actively trying to stop it, but this city is just totally surrounded and engulfed by it and that doesn't seem at all in line with his regime or what he's trying to accomplish. Because.. these memories would make people constantly feel... something. And that's just not what he's about
Bobby: Is the smoke accidental or intentional?
GD: Well, I think it's a by-product. Not intentional
Bobby: Right. But still so easily accessible
GD: It reminds me of run off factory pollution that basically destroys a town’s water source? And ultimately the town also is abandoned because you just can't live there?
So whether he meant for the town to be livable or not when the dump was first created, the result is that people can't live here now
Bobby: Hmmm. Yes. Typical industrialization. Greed over welfare
GD: The worst
I also do think that if you consider this city the dump, then actually, the mv and diary story isn't as far out of line. It just means that the MV story is picking up after they talk to the Grimes siblings and head towards the dump. We have no idea what most of their goals are for that excursion except for Yunho, but we do know that at least some of them separate
Well, I guess we know their big goal. But like, what part each person was meant to play in accomplishing the big goal is unknown
Bobby: We don't see Jongho hallucinating and we never meet Left Eye--but we do see the representation of going to the dump to accomplish a thing
GD: Right. Which is honestly glossed over in the diaries? Maybe they're meant to be slightly complementary? Like, and this is all the stuff that you were complaining about happening off page.
Bobby: I think yeah, they should be taken as complementary, but we're still left with gaps to fill
GD: Huge, gaping, chasm like gaps
Bobby: Gaps where Bobo just falls right in
GD: Poor Bobo
03: what are the thematic connections?
Bobby: we've sort of been dancing around this, but where do we see thematic overlap?
GD: I think we see some overlap in a couple of the characters' tasks? Which yeah, I basically already talked about. But I think there is some divergence in some of the boys. Like, I think some of them we still see themes of isolation and confusion, and I think in some of them we see a sort of forward momentum and control
Wooyoung and Jongho in particular to me, both seem very... unsure? They're shot in a way where they're both looking down and contemplating. Their locations seem isolated. Their body language is sort of tucked into themselves.
And I don't think we see the same thing in the other boys solo shots
Bobby: San, I think, also seems uncertain
GD: San's is interesting to me
Bobby: Excluding any choreo
GD: And this could just be because San is a powerful performer, but some of his facial expressions don't seem uncertain at all. Though you're right, his solo acting shot is similar to Wooyoung's
Bobby: That's the thing though--compare Jongho and San underground to the end when the tree is on fire
GD: I guess I think San seems.. almost angry in his acting shot? he's shown isolated, but his facial expressions and body language reads almost frustrated to me
Bobby: He seems frustrated.
Lol--didn't finish reading before my thought took me
I'm thinking about the group shot. Brain was occupied. But I like that during Mingi's part, they chose to stop the action and have them all gather around the radio
They are literally fixed on to his rap
GD: It was a really excellent way to include him
Bobby: But thematically, we're seeing glimmers of connection we didn't see in Inception
GD: Another theme overlap I think is sort of this... anxious energy? Which the song also has. But at the end of the diary, we have two in mortal peril. And in this MV, we do have this feeling like... they're moving quickly or being chased or doing some sort of action
Bobby: Yes, and also that alien feeling of being somewhere unknown
GD: And maybe even not exactly fitting in there. When they arrive, they're wearing these bright audacious outfits--they seem almost innocent? They have their little flag and then we see a loss of innocence at the reality of the world
Bobby: The styling does show a progression, doesn't it?
GD: Which the boys experience, but it reminds me more of the Grimes siblings for some reason
I think because we've talked about the Grimes siblings represented that pure and innocent theme of children
Bobby: Yes, and when you think of them using modified versions of the Celebrate outfits and how Celebrate is such an innocent sort of song
GD: And these outfits are so childlike--remember how I thought Bobo was pinned to San's shirt? They have stuffed animals on them, bright colors, etc. It's a little bit of a dark Alice in Wonderland vibe.
Bobby: Yes. Absurd colors that stand out too much in this environment. But then we move from that to the distressed outfits and then finally to the bold red
GD: It feels like the red is representative of them finding themselves in this environment. It's still bright, still stands out, but it's clothing that suits the location
Bobby: Yes. Am I correct in thinking this is the only MV where we don't go back and forth on the styling? We start in certain outfits and then move to the next and then to the next
GD: We have some back and forth? But not as much. Like they stop showing the beginning outfit towards the middle and don't start showing the red until after the middle
Bobby: Oh right.
GD: Actually that happens at 3:04
Bobby: Well then I was not correct. Everybody mark that out in your notes
GD: No. I don't think you're wrong. The red outfit appears shortly after this, never before
and we don't see this outfit again. At 3:07 we see the red outfit, right after a brief glimpse of Seonghwa loading a gun
Bobby: It's just not as. . . I want to say demarcated. . . as I was thinking
GD: I guess we see some glimpses of the red at 2:48 when Jongho and San have their solo tree shots. But I do think it's a progression. Progressions are a little muddy sometimes, not always forward
Bobby: Yes, which circles back around to my question I asked earlier: Have we made progression? the MV says "yes, but not in ways you might expect.” It hasn't been a linear march forward but we are moving
04: what are your final thoughts and takeaways?
GD: I really only have one prevailing thought, and it's that I was wrong. I have always thought Fireworks was completely divorced from what is happening in the diary. And I just don't think that's true. It's showing us a small piece of something that happened in the diary instead of visually telling us the whole story. And it makes sense that this is what the MV is focusing on because this was the action part of the diary--the part where they were doing something instead of learning or just being chased for reasons they didn't understand. Going to the dump was when they were taking an action, so it's right that is the part the MV would focus on, as this is where we're going to see some of our character growth and change.
Bobby: An exciting update: Nephew has finished his book and so he will get the Harry Potter Lego set
GD: Oh that is exciting for him! A hearty congratulations
Bobby: He is pretty ecstatic
I never thought Fireworks was completely irrelevant? But it had always felt like the mood of the diary was so very different from the MV
While I don't dislike the MV at all, it has always been my least favorite, I think because I just don't vibe with the setting and tone so much? But when you look at it through the lens of the diary, it does make sense why they made these artistic choices. They weren't going to actually build out a whole dump, but filming in a quarry and underground sets gets that mood across--suggests that setting--in ways that heavy green-screening might not have.
And I know that Atinys hate it when Ateez sacrifices aesthetics for storytelling, but Atinys are wrong
GD: I do like avoiding green screen where possible. I also think the progression and change of the outfits is a neat metaphor and trick that makes me understand the Celebrate outfits a little more. I always thought they didn't work here, and that's the point. They don't. The story knows that they don't.
Bobby: Yes, and I think I have changed my mind that Fireworks shows both Ateez and Halateez
GD: Mmmm yes, I'd forgotten about that theory
I am inclined to believe that this is all Ateez, and what we're seeing is them figuring out how to still be them in a world that is different from the one they came from. Which, incidentally, is a heavy theme in many of their songs and work
Bobby: Honestly, the more I get into the Fever diaries, the more I feel--not that Halateez weren't meant to be a Thing--but that they are more distant from the narrative than I originally assumed.
Halateez are different people. And this is Ateez's story
GD: Yeah, I also think in the past I have given Halateez too much power. Anything that didn't obviously fit the diary narrative I was told must be Halateez.
It would be interesting to go back to my timeline now. Because I'd long theorized certain music videos were Hala and certain ones were Ateez. But I do think that's probably wrong. I guess I want to see how our Thanxx study plays out
Bobby: I have a freshly hatched wild new theory. It's about BFG [Editor’s Note BFG = Be Free Girl]
GD: Fantastic, let's hear it
Bobby: So, you know I like to live in a OneTeez world. But that really falls apart if Outlaw BFG is a different, identical version to Fever BFG
So. . . what if she isn't?
What if BFG, like Ateez, was summoned to Strictland because she is also a lover of Art. Perhaps she is working undercover
Zero evidence to support this theory, but, you know, fun to ponder
GD: You have the smallest amount of evidence: Seonghwa looked for her again and could never find her. So that's not no evidence
Bobby: The most circumstantial evidence that ever existed
GD: She did, seemingly, disappear from Seonghwa's world. Though, she could've just as easily decided to not go to that street corner again. So like, some evidence, but not necessarily good evidence. Atinys have based theories on less
Bobby: Well, I'm better than them, so I'm putting this in the realm of fanfiction until the Intern lets me take it back out
GD: Put it on the mental murder board and we can see if we can collect evidence in the future
I'm glad that BFG turned out to be as important as my heart believed she would be
Bobby: What if the bracelet is like a cromer? . . . somehow
GD: Another excellent fanfiction–be free of the constraints of time and space
Bobby: This fanfic writes itself. Is there BFG fanfiction? There should be
GD: Perhaps it's Up To You
Bobby: I mean, we might have a fanfiction club at school, so. . .
GD: You can write it, and then we can both post our side story fanfiction about characters no one else ever considers on our blog
Bobby: If KQ won't expand the world, then it falls to us
GD: ✨ 🌈 whimsy🌈 ✨
I hadn't considered the possibility of posting my TMITWS fanfiction on the blog. I don't know that I want to, but a fun possibility [Editor's note: TMITWS is the man in the white sweater, aka an ATEEZ manager.]
05: closing
GD: What do our closing thoughts for a music video look like?
Bobby: A great question. I know we do patron saints and the ever-scary rosary. . .
Just patron saints and rosary it seems
GD: Makes sense to not have a closing hymn
Bobby: We could do praises if we want. A prayer also doesn't make much sense
GD: Let's do a praise, to start the week nice
Bobby: It feels like it's been a quiet week for Ateez. It hasn't but it feels that way
GD: I feel like lots of things happened and also nothing
Bobby: Are we keeping track of things for the month in review?
GD: God no, but we should be
Bobby: I have not. I have also been Distracted and hope to stop being Distracted soon
GD: I have been.. just, forgetful
Bobby: I feel like if I just get through this week, I'll be able to get back into my school rhythm
Reclaim my work-life balance
GD: I think I would like to praise Eden for making the best music for both ATEEZ and xikers because I do love the new xikers album. But also, I really loved the SanHwa short, so I'd like to praise them for that. It made me very happy.
Two small things
And only semi ateez related, my kaddy sent a box of PCs and I got the most perfect Jongho PC in existence. He has purple hair and is in front of a pink wall, and thus, my heart is full
Those are the ateez things that made me happy this week
Bobby: I think I also have a small collection
I too am happy for the KQ creative teams--for the excellent music and the really fun concepts and different marketing strategies.
I am also pleased that my bank did not allow KQ to buy Ateez dorm supplies from the Arkansas Walmart
And I am also happy that all the 2Ho pcs I ordered recently arrived with no drama
Those don't quite feel directly Ateez connected, but I do feel a bit disconnected these days with my focus being so dominated by school
OH--I really loved Wanteez. GamerTeez is very good
GD: I honestly think for the praise it's okay if it's more "atiny life" connected than an actual thing Ateez did. Everything they do is great, and so sometimes it's nice to celebrate and acknowledge the other ways being an atiny has enhanced our life in a certain week
That my kaddy is a perfect human who was able to send me this perfect Jongho PC has nothing to do with a thing Ateez did, but the fact that Ateez exists means I was granted this small happiness this week.
Bobby: True true
So for my patron saint this week, I feel like I need someone very positive and flexible who is just very, very good
GD: I can think of a couple of members fitting that description
Bobby: I'm feeling San
GD: A great choice. I also think he has a nice inner strength that allows him to be himself even during unexpected times.
I've decided on Seonghwa. My son starts school this week, and I plan to do some care taking tasks, but I would also like to get some embroidery done, and I think it reminds me of his destress with legos vibes
I want to be calm too in the face of many many things being asked of me this week
Bobby: I've enjoyed embroidery for de-stressing in the past. And you have some time still before Kcon
GD: A week and a half lol. But yes, that is time
I have An Idea
Bobby: Oh, I thought Kcon was much later
GD: But I am Concerned that it will not work and I will spend a lot of time on a thing that doesn't work, but maybe that's fine
You know that A inside the crescent moon? I want to embroider a large line image crescent moon on the back, and then make the A shape entirely out of a rainbow of different embroidered flowers
Bobby: Oh, I love those floral letters people do
GD: I do understand that this is ambitious.
Bobby: It is, but it would be very cool
GD: So that's why I need to start working on it today, lol
Anyways, to the rosary
do we... how did we...
Bobby: We used lyrics last time
GD: Ah
Bobby: I'm dream, in a dream
GD: Oh I have it
I'm the one
Bobby: In my zone
GD: Be the light
Bobby: Halazia
GD: Fantastic
Thank you for joining us for our special edition of Bible Study, and we hope you found it to be a useful review of the Fireworks MV and Diary Pt.2 story!
Next week, we will back track slightly and do a special edition looking at Inception as we felt it gave us new insights on the story.
See you then!
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