Skzverse

Teorías y análisis.

• SKZ VERSE: The beginning

SKZ VERSE is a fictional storyline somehow based off of Stray
Kids real life experiences and journey as a group dramatized.
- The colour theory: The colour theory is based off of the RBG
colour wheel. Since cameras play a big part in this storyline, they
use the digital scale. The theory suggests there are three main
storylines. The pyramid Changbin holds in Levanter is what
caused (or simply used to reference) the colour split in their
universe, dividing Stray Kids into multiple realities and multiple
versions of themselves.
• The red storyline (The 2 moons universe): A storyline from
Hellevator, I AM Series, Clé series, Go Live and In Life.
Primarily includes all the series trailers and title track music
videos.
• The green storyline (The werewolf Universe): A storyline
from Beware, Easy, Kingdom Intro stage, Lee Know performance
film and Wolfgang Final kingdom stage.
• The blue storyline (The fallen angels): A storyline from
Spread my wings to I’ll be your man (Kingdom Re-Born stage).

The red storyline.

Ep.1: The decision.
In Hellevator, Changbin was one who thought it would better to
add "Hell' in elevator and meant to use the criticism of motivation
to push yourself higher, like riding the wave of negativity to
success.
HELLEVATOR MV ANALYSIS: In the video, skz (in all black),
go to their abandoned school for the time before they are expected
to leave behind their childhood in order to accept the many
responsibilities of the real world. One member specifically, Han,
is having a hard time accepting that fate. You can see how
everyone is smiling except him. Then, he drifts away from his
friends and decides to run away from it all. He escapes through
the elevator. We can see him riding it and clicking the H (Hell)
button, where it leads him to, let's call it the "Better place (the
field of pink grass) where he won't have to accept the real world
and can stay there without having to move on. The "Better place"
can also be seen as the Skz Universe, “Neverland”: The boys are
often compared to Peter Pan due to their "lost boys" like concept;
the character of Peter embodies the central idea of childhood and
growing up, the main theme of the story is the conflict between
wanting to remain a child, but knowing that one has to become an
adult. Peter Pan is the living and breathing manifestation of the
desire to remain a child forever, without responsibilities or cares.
Peter Pan is also known for being the “Boy” who wouldn't grow
up; just like how Stray kids express their fear and indecisiveness
of growing up through the lyrics of some of their songs.
“Why do days go by quickly”. (19)
“I just wanna go back back back to the time”. (19)
We can also take note that Stray Kids has mentioned Neverland
and Peter Pan on the lyrics of their song, Airplane as well.
“Girl, I will show you Neverland, I'm your Peter Pan.
Don't let go of my hands, babe."
Going back to the MV analysis; In an alternate Universe, let's call
it "Realm 2 Skz (in coloured clothes) live an idealistic life except
their situation is reversed to that of the first realm. Here (Han
sitting on a couch), Han, (in plaid) is the only member that
accepts his place in the real world and the responsibilities that
come with it, whereas, Realm 1 HAN (In black), is escaping and
running away from that fate to the Better Place, but he wasn't
alone... We can see Realm 2 skz (in coloured clothes) catching up
with Realm 1 Han (in black) and escaping together. Feeling
betrayed and abandoned, Realm 2 Han (coloured clothes)
attempts to destroy everything they've created. The bottle of fire
turning into the shattered bottle of yellow flowers, represents the
internal destruction of their memories together, rather than the
physical destruction of the memories around him. Meanwhile,
Realm 1 skz (in black) get on the elevator to the real world,
whereas, assuming, realm 2 Han (coloured clothes) joins them,
skz in the Better Place are left there.
A decision has been made in the SKz Universe; it cannot be
undone.
Hellevator M/V serves as a prelude for future happenings. Fun
take to remember is how in this video, Chan and Hyunjin are the
only ones wearing white while the others wearing black. Why are
they meant to stand out? There are so many questions left
unanswered. SKZVERSE is a complex storyline with multiple
versions of skz. Hellevator isn't the main storyline, we're only
getting started.
ep2: I am not.
Stray Kids' debut album "I Am Not" was all about breaking
society's expectations and completely rebelling against what you
don't believe in. The album is their way of saying "stop telling me
who I am, because that's not me”

PART ONE: TO STRAY KIDS EVERYWHERE ALL

AROUND THE WORLD.
"They say people are born different.
But why does it feel like we’re all the same?
Us, brainwashed into the same system, they expect perfection.
So how can we be different?
Until I saw my reflection, that’s when I woke up and realised that
the truth has been hidden away from us,
A sign, an omen, a glitch”.

The world took me away from myself.

I AM NOT TRAILER ANALYSIS: The Kids are stuck in a

metaphorical version of institutions of power in society (such as
school, work, etc.). They compare being stuck in a mental
institution being told what's right and what's wrong, what to do
and who to be, where to go and what to say - to how they, and
others alike, are treated in in everyday society.
Bang Chan. The first to notice the malfunction in the dome and
lift his hood. This malfunction is the sign. The sign is what Chan
spoke of in the intro that proves to him, something is not right. He
makes eye contact with the camera.
Represents: Those born never feeling as if they belong as
immediately notice all that is wrong in society.
Lee Know. Rebels against the system by not doing what is
expected of him, and writes I AM NOT on the board.
Represents: Those who actively choose early on not to follow
what they don't understand, the “troubled” kids.
Changbin. Sees all the versions/expectations of himself created by
outsiders. He turns away and covers his eyes to show he rejects
those images of him -self as he is not who they are, and they are
not him.
Represents: Public image and not losing yourself to the
expectations of others.
Felix. Rebels against restraints put on him by the system by
dancing on the roof. This is to show he won't be chained or
controlled. He breaks the mirror which symbolizes his rejection of
his reflection showing him as a part of the system.
Represents: Refusing to be enslaved by societal norms that makes
you something you are not in order to fit in.
I.N. Sees himself in another reality where he doesn't get on the
bus. Seeing as the second I.N is smiling as if he is familiar with
this kind of interactions. The I.N on the bus gets off and
immediately follows his other self. He is the first member to be
exposed to the multiverse providing us with the first
interdimensional interaction that the boys are aware of.
Represents: The many possible outcomes in life and the idea of
“what if”.
Seungmin. Tasked with painting an abstract portrait of the image
in front of him, Seungmin stops when he realises his inability to
be truly original when everyone given the same image as
reference. He sees the outline as an animation to his creativity that
stops him from being able to express himself the way he wishes
to. Seungmin paints a line through his art to show his frustration
with the task.
Represents: Teens in society told to be uniquely themselves and
follows their dreams in a system where we're all treated the same
and the same and graded based off of the same curriculum with
the same expectations.

Han. Direct reference to Plato's Allegory of the Cave. He stands

on platform looking at the crowd of hooded people bowing
towards him. He assumes they are bowing to him but instead
they're avoiding the harsh light of the Sun behind them. In Plato's
Allegory of the Cave, the sun represents enlighten ment, this
suggests the people before Han have chosen ignorance. When he
spots his shadow casted by the sun, he realizes the reason for their
bowing heads and grows envious. He turns to join them, avoiding
the light of the Sun.
Represents: Those who lose themselves to a competitive lifestyle.
By focusing on gain and fame they miss the bigger picture and
end up choosing ignorance, therefore stunning their growth as an
individual and as an artist.
"The Allegory of the Cave speaks of ignorance of humanity
trapped in the conventional ethics formed by society.
Hyunjin. Seated in a room being used to test machinery while
being studied by scientists. He rips off the helmet to express that
he's tired of being their experiment.
Represents. The industry with idols. The process of creating the
perfect products for their companies and experimenting with
different groups to see which formulas produce the best results.
- In the end, Chan being the first to lift his hood was followed by
the bays also removing their hoods, one by one, in the crowd of
hooded people, and look forwards the camera. This is to show that
they reveal themselves to us, they revealed themselves as Stray
Kids, and call others to join them. The I am not trailer was
intended to attract like minds. Stray Kids are showing of that they
are one of us, and that they wish to be our voice, our emblem in
music. They are the voice of Stray Kids everywhere all around the
world.
- There is a particular scene in the beginning of I AM NOT trailer,
before Felix appeared on the rooftop, they showed us the view of
the so-called system first. One is the word “THREAD” with a
cube pyramid symbol besides it. Let's take note of the shape, the
prism that Changbin holds and this pyramid in Levanter as well.
The other is the word “FAKE”, assuming Thread is the name of
the group who runs the system, FAKE can mean, skz are under a
simulation where they're being tested, therefore, the malfunction
in the system is the sign that skz are living in the fake world.
PART TWO: Escape TO OUR DISTRICT.
DISTRICT 9 MV ANALYSIS: The first time we were introduced
to the security, cameras monitoring and keeping watch of the
boys. In the garden full of monochrome plants, Chan finds a red
flower growing where normally nothing grows and searches for
the source of its existence. According to one of the theories of
Stray Quantum, the flower is a poinsettia, from which a drug
they're under the influence of is created. It's also a memory
suppressant, to keep them compliant trough years of repeated
events. Upon realizing that the flower is the sunlight giving it life,
he follows that light and finds a crack in the dome surrounding
them. The crack was created by a drone that seems to have
crashed into it. The shattered pieces of the dome prove to Chan
that the dome is destructible so he creates an escape plan. The
Flower is the omen. Chan shares his plan with the boys through
red slips of paper. They later meet at the bus and excitedly change
their clothes. Then, they escape by driving through the dome, the
bus crashed the system and broke through it. It took them
somewhere where the kids made it as their own district. which
they called it district 9.
Represents: The boys choosing authenticity as artists escaping the
propaganda and lies controlling the entertainment industry.
Reference - Stray kids [INTRO "Cle 1 MIROH"] 4:16-1:23.
At the very end of this music video, we are introduced to the last
factor in Chan's intro, THE GLITCH. Meanwhile, in another skz
universe, skz in grow up M/V, are seen riding the bus towards
district 9, the same place as the other skz go to. At the end of the
video, Seungmin holds yellow balloons which he lets go
eventually to the sky. Yellow balloons represent moving on and
new chapters. It also means something with an emotional impact
has come to an end, a yellow balloon is there to remind you that
are good things ahead.