It's Wednesday, and that means that we're here to personally recommend some of our favorite ATEEZ and ATEEZ adjacent videos. So, whether you're just getting into ATEEZ or it's been awhile since you've let yourself sit back and enjoy their content, we've got you covered.
Sometimes, you want to sit down and discover the secrets of the universe through Serious Scholarly Works, and sometimes you want to feel like you're discovering the secrets of the universe while doing basically nothing. This is a what to watch for the latter occasion.
One of my favorite things to do is to pretend I'm doing Lore Work while watching vaguely related ATEEZ content, and then spending a couple of hours trying to connect what I've watched back to the lore. So for today's recommendations, I've gathered a sampling of video recommendations that could possibly help you understand the lore if you think hard enough but could also just provide you with a nice, ATEEZ related time.
Note: because a lot of these recommendations are movies, I've only included the trailers in the linked playlist at the bottom.
This is the quintessential lore video--the one that started me down my lore journey. If you haven't already watched it, my guess is you're not reading this blog. But, any good Lore Think Time begins with a rewatch of this video, especially now that BFG (Be Free Girl) is back in the lore.
This is both fun variety content and lore adjacent, which makes it one of my favorite contents. The beginning and ending of each episode has little lore nuggets for you to chew on while you enjoy some silly, longer form content. Only the first episode is included in this playlist, but you should watch them all, time permitting.
Any ATEEZ Music Video
Outside of the diaries and the diary film, the music videos are our best source of insight into ATEEZ's universe. I've found it's best if you watch them on .25 speed, and since I like to really rearrange the timeline every time I have a whim, the order you watch them in doesn't really matter. I've only linked Pirate King so that you can go on your own musical journey.
This movie starring Christian Bale is set in a dystopian world where feelings are illegal, which is not dissimilar from the world of Z. There's a lot of overlap in ideas and tone, and I still think about the implications of the resistance being on the outskirts of the city, and what it means to be awake in a world where everyone else is suppressed.
In The Truman Show, one man's life is broadcast out for the rest of the world. Unbeknownst to him, everything is fake or a set up for the entertainment of the viewers. I'm honestly not sure how deep the lore implications of this movie are, but it is a movie that Hongjoong mentions a lot, and the constant surveillance in an idyllic world doesn't seem too far away from what we know of Strictland.
When I first got deep into ATEEZ lore, I did like the theory that the people living in Strictland were actually living in some sort of simulation. There is some evidence for the theory. Not like, good evidence. But some evidence. And while I don't really buy the theory now, the first Matrix is a good time, and I took a lot of notes on lore similarities when I watched it last, so there must be something there.
First off, there's a title track called Inception. But similar to the Matrix theory, there is some evidence that Strictland is in some controlled dream. It's not evidence that I believe in or care about, but it does exist. More importantly for my purposes, the team aspect of this movie, and the way the time begins to come together, is nice fodder for pondering ATEEZ's growing connection in their universe.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Official Trailer #1 - Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet Movie (2004) HD
Like Inception, a title track borrows its title from this movie, so that automatically makes this movie a good choice for casual contemplation. In this movie, a technology exists that can remove memories, which we know is something that exists in Strictland too. The thing that I find interesting is that in this world, the memories slowly start to creep back, and people behave the same despite the memories being lost.
And that's it for my best recommendations of lore related and lore adjacent content for lowkey contemplation. What's your favorite thing to watch when you want to think about the lore? Anything I should add?
For your convenience, you can find the entire playlist here.
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