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What are you watching?

I see there's a lot there
Definitely. The director said his original intention was to show metaphorically how society treats "disabled" people (a statement which itself stirred controversy) -- but he said other interpretations are possible.

It could easily be generalized to apply to any marginalized or "different" individuals or groups, with the cubes representing the various "boxes" in which an unforgiving society forces them.

Or it could be narrowed, to apply to the Korean entertainment industry, with its strict rules and formulas. In fact, it could be narrowed even further, to an autobiographical story about IU herself: her character is mute, symbolized by her lip-ring, which disappears when seen through the camcorder. When she made her live stage debut at age 15, there were audience members yelling things like "Fat pig! Get off the stage!". If you look closely at the scene where she's singing, you can see that the masked and hooded figures in black are actually pointing and mocking. On this interpretation, they become symbols of the infamous Knetizen trolls that spew toxic hate anonymously -- and not just at IU. However, in an earlier scene, we see her and V grabbing food and drink from the tables, knocking the trolls aside, and on the stage, she's defying the attempts to "mute" her.

I'm not sure about the videotapes, but all the tech in the music video is old, as in everything shown in the "Horizon Portal" store they enter at the beginning. One idea that occurred to me was that the videotapes -- along with cassettes and vinyl records -- represent the products of having been forced into "boxes" in the past, a situation from which they're breaking free, if only in their dreams.

This would relate directly to IU's own career; after a somewhat disastrous debut, she was forced by her company into what's called the "cute concept" idol role for several years, to the point where she was dubbed "Korea's Little Sister". This was not what she wanted for herself, but she suffered it until she gained enough popularity and power to finally get control over her music and persona with her "Chatshire" album. She's since grown powerful enough that she was able to buy her company, and now produces what she wants (including this music video).
I noticed that the point of view when he attacks the cube shifts as though we are now inside the cube watching him beat us, I think.
An interesting idea that I don't recall seeing in the many comments I've so far read. It wouldn't surprise me though; people have pointed to the digital effects and glitches when V strikes the cube as deliberate, indicating that the cubes represent social media -- and sometimes, social media is "us". It wouldn't be the first time IU has confronted this "us" directly; a few years ago she did it in the mv for "Eight":
There's more of the complex allusivenss that she's known for in there, too much to cover here, but it's widely understood as in part a tribute to several friends -- including her best friend -- whom she lost to suicide (the lizards and dragon refer to their various nicknames).

Repeatedly throughout the video, she looks directly into the camera, as if addressing an absent friend, and asking "Are you happy now? Finally happy now?" But at the end, when she rises from the table where she'd been "downloading memories" as the tape machine has it, she shows three expressions in quick succession: tearful sorrow about lost friends, a little smile of hope for their happiness, but then, finally, a cold look into the camera, while "Are you happy now" echoes in the background. The suicide of her best friend has been widely attributed in part directly to the unrelenting online hate she was subjected to, and it's as if IU is asking "she's dead -- are you happy now? Finally happy now?". I have to say this is the saddest "happy" song I know.

IU's acting abilities are well-established, so it should come as no surprise that she can pull something like this off. In fact, getting back to "Love Wins All", I was impressed with how she managed to combine fear, sadness, defiance, and resignation in one shot at the end:
 
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Giving Berlin Station a re-watch now that I have secured DVDs of all three seasons.

 
A while ago something triggered a memory of a children's programme I watched when very young. I had this memory of a bear (who was actually a man) and a magic bridge and some strange music when the bridge was doing its magic. It was shown on British TV but wasn't British made so didn't appear in the lists I looked through. I had a dim memory that it was German (was it shown with subtitles - I can't remember)

Well I finally tracked it down and found it was an East German feature film which the BBC bought and made into a three part serial and shown as one of its Tales From Europe. It was called in English The Singing Ringing Tree and in German Das Singende Klingende Baumchen (so little tree or sapling).


For something that was made in the 1950s it looks really good. Yes it's a fairy tale for young children but aren't we all still children at heart. I certainly enjoyed watching it again on a wet Sunday afternoon.
 
Modern Spy Trilogy!

Finishing the last of of Berlin Station's three seasons, so now an binging through six seasons of 'The Americans'. Next, I will revisit Homeland.

 
Late to the Downton Abbey club.
I've been borrowing the DVDs from the municipal library**.
Just finished Season 5... Season Six is checked out by someone else, so will have to wait a week or so for it.
I haven't decided if I will watch the two movies... and from what I have read, there is a third movie coming.
Right now I'd rate the series (overall) as 4⭐ out of 5. Individual seasons range from 3⭐ to 5⭐.

**I believe it can be streamed but "I don't stream".
(I don't fly either ... and I don't use a cell phone. Resident Luddite at your service 😉)
 
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I love Downton Abbey, it's one of my favorite TV shows! That is, I loved it until...

...Matthew died. I loved him. 😭 Such a sick and twisted move of the writers to kill him while he was out driving on the same day his child was born. I stopped watching after that.

But the costumes are immaculate, and that's high praise coming from me, since the Edwardian period is my expertise. The hairstyles are wonderfully period correct, too. Many period dramas these days are prone to putting the actress in a period accurate dress but with awfully modern hair and makeup. The only costuming thing in Downton Abbey I didn't like was when they made a scene of complaining about their corsets, because that is an overdone and largely inaccurate period drama trope. But I can forgive that because it only happened once and the rest of the costuming is exquisite.
 
@Maedhros_Nelyafinwë -- in case you missed it, the actor who played Matthew didn't renew his contract because he wanted to do other things. What would you have done with his character, hmm? 🤔
 
Just watched 'Prima Facie' at my local cinema. It's a one-woman play starring Jodie Comer, a filmed version of the National Theatre production. Extremely good.
 
I love Downton Abbey, it's one of my favorite TV shows! That is, I loved it until...
Good heavens, my dear... It's a soap opera (albeit one on steroids).
Like all soaps there are only three plotlines: people being "hatched or matched or dispatched".. (or all three) .
You should resume watching it.
I have yet to see Season Six but the other seasons were good...Season 4 I think is the weakest (in places).
You have not yet met Rose. She is quite the character. I think you will like her.

 
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It is, or was, a regular occurrence in soaps, when an actor was ill, or temporarily left for one reason or another.
 
Apologies in advance to everyone sick of hearing me banging on about "Love Wins All", but I realized I said nothing about the musical aspects. For anyone interested in those, the "Classical Musicians" go into structure and performance here:
And another classical musician does a deep dive here:

PS: A couple of small details I've noticed after several viewings: the sign on the electronics store they enter at the beginning is "Horizon Portal" -- but with some of the letters missing, could be read as "Rise For All", adding to the multi-layered nature of the video.

Also, if you listen carefully at the very end of the song, you can hear IU take a breath; normally, this is something that would be edited out of a recording, but here, was left in for some reason -- perhaps giving us the sound of her "last breath" before dying?

PPS: I notice the music video has gained another four million views, since I originally posted it, a mere three weeks ago. 😮
 
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The PBS Nova science series is running a miniseries on the Solar System. Episode 1 aired last week, and is up on YouTube:

Episode 2 is on tonight at 9 PM:
 
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