two days ago an anon asked me to share my interpretation of TBZโs โBe your own kingโ. itโs been a while since I was this excited about a video, mostly because the meanings in it relate to each member on a personal level.ย I donโt think theyโve shared official meanings anywhere so itโs pretty much all up to our own interpretation, in this post Iโve written down mine. For me personally, I connected most of the scenes to things theyโve said in the identity films so I linked those as well.
Letโs start with Hyunjae who saidย โMake your own air.โ, hereโs his identity film.ย
This one was a little less obvious to me but Iโve always seen Hyunjae as someone who speaks up when necessary. In the identity film he also mentions this, how he speaks up when he feels like everyone wants to but no one does. He talks about how strong his moral compass is and how he canโt stand injustice but this makes people see him as blunt. Eventhough he doesnโt want people to see him as blunt heโd still rather speak up because keeping it in will feel more toxic. I think withย โMake your own air.โ and him being underwater in his scene heโs creating a metaphor. Air being a feeling of freedom, openness, justice, something along those lines. In a world where people are too afraid to speak up (wether itโs for themselves or for someone else) someone like Hyunjae could feel suffocated, as if he is underwater. By making his own air, creating a space, by speaking up and giving other people the motivation to do so too, he lets himself breathe. Instead of letting himself drown in the injustice that others are trying to ignore, he creates air.
Next up is Juyeon, who saidย โMake your own character.โ, hereโs his identity film.
So Juyeon has a lot of different sides to his personality and to the way he comes across. Heโs one of the more quiet or shy members which leads to a certain reputation. He went viral a few times which enforced this โfirst impressionโ-reputation even more among the general public but also among the fans. He used to be seen as a very pure and nice person. In the identity film he explains how this isnโt always true and to him the boundaries of being a good person are blurry. It was difficult for him to always be seen as just that nice guy. With more recent comebacks (Reveal, The Stealer, Breaking Dawn) weโve seen a huuuge change in the way he comes across and he really got the opportunity to break out of that reputation. He also mentions that he wants to keep showing new charms. To me this means he enjoys figuring out who he is and playing with ways to influence his reputation. He has the power to create his own character, not fitting into one specific box or be a certain type and stick with that, but always changing and evolving.
My everythingย Changmin saidย โMake your own stage.โ, hereโs his identity film.
I could talk about this one for AGES but Iโll try to zoom in on a few points. Aside from Changmin being a born performer and how clearly we can see his biggest passion is being on stage, I think thereโs more behind his message than that. He is one of the biggest perfectionists in the industry and is the strictest with himself. He also struggles with depression and in his identity film he talks about how honesty isnโt always the best move and how he rarely talks about his feelings. To me that sounds like he has a lot on his mind but chooses not to be honest about it in order to keep his relationships happy, to not make people worry. I speak from personal experience here but sometimes telling other people what youโre dealing with can only make the problem feel bigger. Sometimes itโs nice not to tell anyone so hanging out with them is a distraction from whatโs bothering you. Like he says in the film, when someone shares their struggles youโll only feel down together. He also talks about how he always tries to give positive energy to others even when he isnโt happy himself. (I could keep going but Iโll get to the point now). By making his own stage I think he means making a life and a side of himself that focusses on the good things. When heโs not on the actual stage heโs down and struggling but instead of taking that with him into the rest of his life he created this second stage. This second stage is his escape from the negative thoughts, the stage has his friends who he has fun with, it has the music he loves and het gets to move around and indulge himself in his passions. The actual stage is where he is happiest and I feel like he created another layer of stage where he is kind of inbetween the way he is when he is dancing and the way he is when heโs caught up in negative thoughts. This metaphorical stage gives him the opportunity to enjoy life without the worries ruining the happy moments.
Next up is our Haknyeon, he saidย โMake your own romance.โ, hereโs his identity film.
The thing I love and admire most about Haknyeon is his confidence. This is something I noticed about him back when I saw him on Produce 101 and something thatโs still very clear now. In the identity film he talks about how he has a hard time reading the room and considering everyone whoโs there before speaking. This leads to miscommunications or annoyances that werenโt necessary. It must be so frustrating to him, trying his best but others misunderstanding him and taking his honesty the wrong way. Maybe he feels dilemmaโs about being himself or giving that up in favor of the group. Withย โMake your own romance.โ my first idea was that he meant self-love. While others donโt always understand him, he has himself and he knows his worth. Even when others disagree or donโt see it, he knows that heโs a warmhearted and loving person. Heโs proud of who he is and wants to show us that just because other donโt see it or disagree, doesnโt mean your romance and idealism arenโt there.
I loved Kevinโs part, he saidย โMake your own fantasy.โ, hereโs his identity film.
I could talk for HOURS about Kevinโs identity film. The first time I watched it I cried because of how much I related and how much Iโve struggled with the same things. How I see it, fantasy has two meanings here. First up the whole Peter Pan theme is a clear reference to Kevin wanting to always be a kid at heart no matter how old he gets. This also relates to the fantasy as in having a wide imagination to build it on. The second meaning I think is about the creation of the fantasy. Heโs a social chameleon so he acts different based on the people heโs with to the point where he sometimes loses track of who he really is. To me (as someone who has a similar problem) making your own fantasy stands for taking control over your life and your image of yourself. Itโs not about finding who you are but about creating who you are. Kevin has a very clear image of who and where he wants to be but struggles with questioning himself and pretty much everything. Make your own fantasy is a statement that focusses on taking back the reigns and making your own fantasy instead of it staying just a fantasy.ย
Moving on to Sunwoo who saidย โMake your own vibe.โ, hereโs his identity film.
Another one which, to me, seems to encapsulate a lot of different meanings. Sunwoo is one of the moodmakers in the group and tends to stand out pretty quickly to newer fans. His personality is something I personally havenโt seen often in kpop. Heโs a mix between cute and playful while also being mature and intriguing, so his vibes are pretty unique. In the identity film he mentions how much he compares himself to others and how he has a hard time accepting that heโs not where he expected to be. He doesnโt give any names but I think itโs safe to say he means other idolgroups with bigger fanbases or different concepts. Withย โMake your own vibe.โ I feel like heโs focusing less on the comparison with others and more about what makes him unique and how he can use it to his advantage. Instead of running after others he makes his own path for people to follow. Iโve noticed how he seems to feel more and more comfortable being himself on camera. He seems happier and more at ease, like he doesnโt feel pressured to keep up that tough rapper persona anymore. Now that unique vibe really shines through and I hopeย โMake your own vibe.โ means that heโs aware of how special he is and how much potential he has to work with.
Our rock, our leader, our Sangyeon saidย โMake your own glory.โ, hereโs his identity film.
So the meaning of glory can go a lot of different ways. In Sangyeonโs case I feel like he sees glory as the acknowledgement and respect someone gets for their achievements or hard work. Something Iโve noticed is how Sangyeon is the type of leader who always puts his group before himself. Heโs the backbone or the quiet force of the group. Unlike some of the other members cough sunwoo cough we donโt see him doing fanservice or posting a lot. Instead heโs behind the scenes, making sure everyone is taken care of and heard. He doesnโt seem hungry for screentime or attention. Instead he does what he loves most, singing, making music, performing and most of all help the other members thrive. I think making his own glory means getting that acknowledgement and respect in a different way than most k-idols. In his identity film he uses the wordย โgentleโ to describe himself, mentions how the members tell him heโs reliable (eventhough he disagrees), says that he wants to be seen as cold from the outside but soft on the inside (adorable baguette metaphorย โn all) and tells us that his biggest wish and dream is for the group to do well.ย He also talks about consciously staying positive for his mental health which is a very hard thing to do and requires a lot of self awareness. So making his own glory to me seems like heโs found his own way of feeling glorious. Itโs not by getting the attention from the crowd or being in the spotlight by himself, itโs from taking care of his team and working to be someone he can be proud of without needing approval from others.ย
REALLY excited about Chanhee who saidย โMake your own stereotype.โ, hereโs his identity film.
so aside from how beautiful the scene was and how his outfit reminded me of Karl Lagerfeld, letโs focus on theย โMake your own stereotypeโ for now. Chanhee gets put in a box at first impression a lot, like damn. Thereโs something about him that makes people think they know what heโs like right away, the same thing happened to me when I started getting into TBZ. In the identity film he also mentions how he hides himself and his feelings more than others which could have something to do with it, kind of like a shield. At the same time he cares a lot about what others think about him, more than how he feels about them. This must be very difficult. I can imagine him putting a lot of effort into his image and the way he comes across which is only enforced by his longing to be unique. He mentions how he wants to be seen as someone who can pull things off that not everyone can and it seems like fashion is his main way of doing this. I think making his own stereotype comes from that combination of always being put into a box and wanting to be someone whoโs different. Since people already see him as a stereotype he wants to make that stereotype his own, like making a new one for others to see in him. I also wanted to reference this videoย where he talks with Juyeon for people who are still getting to know Chanhee.
Our squish Younghoon saidย โMake your own classic.โ, hereโs his identity film.
To me this one is the most straightforward out of all of them. His scene referenced a korean drama which Iโm sadly not familiar with. Classic to me means something that most people see as valuable and that value not having a timelimit, thereโs some reliability behind it built on a general positive view. I donโt think the meaning behind his phrase goes as deep as it does with some of the others. I think itโs him being proud of himself without feeling the need to show off. Heโs an amazingly warmhearted person and seems very stable (I canโt think of a better word than stable but I hope you all get what Iโm going for). Heโs the type of person that pretty much anyone would think highly of but not in an intimidating way. For some reason Iโve always kind of admired him, only based on the vibes he gives off, I guess itโs that reliability again. So yea, I didnโt get a very deep meaning from his part but it still felt extremely fitting.
Next up is Jacob who saidย โMake your own freedom.โ, hereโs his identity film.
another one where I feel like it could be interpreted in a lot of different ways. In his identity film he talks about keeping a lot to himself. Instead of saying whatโs on his mind he goes over different scenarios and really thinks about what heโs going to say, afraid of saying the wrong thing. Heโs in his head a lot and would rather eat himself up than be a burden to others, legit the biggest sweetheart. Now thereโs nothing wrong with being a sweetheart but in the identity film you can tell that it burdens him too. He wants to be able to get angry when he needs to but something is holding him back, he worries and has negative thoughts but has a hard time letting that out. Freedom to him might mean the freedom to express his emotions, the freedom to focus on his own worries instead of feeling responsible for the worries of others. Making his own freedom would be finding his voice and finding the space to let it all out.
Laaaastly our Eric, he saidย โMake your own pride.โ, hereโs his identity film.
Thereโs a very specific part in his identity film where he talks about showing a lot of interest in people and feeling bad when itโs not reciprocated. Heโs known as the member who makes friends the easiest and enjoys meeting new people. Heโs always energetic (#energeric) and one of the moodmakers. Sometimes it might seem like thatโs all there is to him but heโs very thoughtful and has a big heart. The outgoing personality doesnโt come from a need for attention, it comes from genuine interest in the people around him. A lot of his energy goes into making other people happy and being someone elseโs vitamin. He mentioned more than once how heโs a lot more sensitive and emotional than a lot of people think. So while others enjoy his energy and adorableness, they sometimes forget that he might want some in return. When youโre always so excited about people it can be difficult when youโre not getting that same excitement back. It mightโve made him doubt himself. I think making his own pride means he wants to find a way to feel proud of himself without having to get that excitement back. A way to be proud of what an amazing friend he is while not feeling bad when someone elseโs personality means they donโt hype him up as much. His own pride in himself, instead of the pride he deserves to have from others but doesnโt always get because most people arenโt as loving and outgoing as he is.
I really love talking about these kinds of things so I would love to hear other opinions on it. Feel free toย send me a message or anything and thank you so much for reading this! <3
watching rtk after kingdom now, and what made kingdom so boring to watch as a show besides the unbearable voting system imo was
1. too many behind the scenes that were completely unrelated to the show plot, which kind of ties into bad scripts/editing? rtk flowed so much smoother. each scene was connected and had meaning, youre never tempted to skip fwd
2. predictable missions and benefits, like literally they were at best spinoff versions of what the public already saw in rtk
3. only 1 mc, rly felt empty compared to rtk, we definitely missed out on needed chemistry
4. no jangjun lmao, like eunkwang was funny and broke the ice, but was also the eldest so everyone was very mindful of him. kind of like how hui was? there was no one younger to continuously dish out witty comments and have ppl react relaxedly, which dampened the flow and made the mood seem more awkward in comparison. members attempted to make jokes, but the show still lacked a variety show genius that has the ability to make people laugh and get closer naturally like jangjun. overall he set the tone and made it easy for all the participants to speak their minds
im just going to pretend kingdom didn't happen. literally none of the kingdom stages lived up to the expectations tbz road to kingdom stages set and im v disappointed by that :/