#ive decoded the exo mama intro too
Okay, so I know people do theories all the time, and everybody is probably sick of hearing/reading them, but I thought I’d share mine.
Alright, so basically, Mx are, well, a clan. All 7 members took an oath (hence their teasers) and vowed to be loyal and faithful to the team and be “all in”/invested in the team.
To begin, the flower. The flower is a big part of the plot. I believe the flower is supposed to be Delphinium or Larkspur (thanks imbangnzelo for making the flower really make sense/go read her post to find out more). Basically, the plants contain toxins which can cause severe sickness and/or death, as well, the plants have cardiotoxic and neuromuscular blocking effects, which to put simply means they are a very high pain killer. And an added part is that these flowers have specific symbolism in what they mean. A few meanings are “striving for your goals”, “new opportunities”, “protection against danger”, “to be open to new emotions”, “enjoying life, no matter the circumstance”, and “celebrating positivity”. All of these, which the music video depicts very well.
My first assumption is that each member has their own take on the flower (that one of the meanings I’ve just stated, is applied to each member). Each meaning is quite positive, so I think that once they use the poison it shows that their meaning/views are gone.
- Striving for goals : Kihyun (why: his goals are to walk again)
- New opportunities : Jooheon (why: robbing? And giving Shownu the money, he took the opportuninty)
- Protection against danger : IM or Wonho
- To be open to new emotions : Minhyuk and Hyungwon (why: their “love” for one another)
- Enjoying life, no matter the circumstance : Shownu (why: his ill and betraying grandfather, he tries to still enjoy what he has even in a hard time)
- Celebrating positivity : IM or Wonho
(sorry, IM and Wonho don’t really have much of a plot on their own…)
Okay, onto the plot.
// forget the first scene for now //
In the video we see the group of them go up to the police, this is where Hyungwon gives one of the poison flowers to a cop. I believe this is a sign of mercy, Hyungwon knows what they are about to do, but hands this to the cop as if saying “here this will rid your pain”. We then see a older man (the same man I believe is in the bed/in Shownu’s scene/Shownu’s grandfather) go up to the group of them with a question and almost angry expression. I think that this man (Shownu’s grandfather) put the group together, and although they don’t know it, it’s to have them do his dirty work for him. Pretty much, the man is their boss. Anyways, his grandfather looks as if he’s questioned something, which I think is “which one of you did it?” referring to the toxic flower being given to a police officer. I think this because, Hyungwon then stands up as if he answer that it was him and to defend his actions. The man then begins hitting/beating Hyungwon, why? Because Hyungwon could have blown their “cover” by giving the flower.
Help: the scene at Jooheon’s rap is where they are boiling down the flowers and making them into a drink/poison, one that they can take to rid themselves of any pain they may feel at that very moment.
We then see Minhyuk in the room with Hyungwon where he removes his mask revealing a beaten and bruised face. I believe those injuries were also from “Shownu’s grandfather”. Minhyuk leaves the room with the mask in a quite angry manner, (yes it show Shownu before this but some of the scenes to keep people hooked are out of order) this is where I think Minhyuk goes to yell/scold Shownu for his grandfather’s doings (because he can’t talk to the man, since the man is sick). I think this because we see Shownu sitting with his grandfather, holding the same mask Hyungwon was wearing. I believe Shownu feels a tremendous amount of betrayal. (yes others have those same masks, this mask could also be Shownu’s which they all wear them when doing what his grandfather demands, but either way~).
The next scene is when we see Jooheon giving a bag to Shownu, the bag containing money. Shownu then heads to the jail cell where his weak/unhealthy grandfather is, with the money in hand. I believe this money is bail money for his grandfather. Shownu then stands at the glass and demands answers from his grandfather for what is going on. (I think his grandfather is still in the room, because two guards still remain when Shownu arrives). I think Shownu’s grandfather admits to what was truly happening and how he was using the members to his advantage/do his dirty work. Shownu, after hearing this decides not to bail his grandfather out, and let him be executed, (Shownu vowed to stay on his friend’s side/be loyal to the clan). I think his grandfather is executed because we see two officers dragging a man out, a struggling man, but struggling not to get away but just in general having troubles, therefore an unhealthy man, his grandfather. It is because of this, that Shownu is first to take his life. He places the flower down on his grandfather’s clothes as symbolism, almost an apology. He then burns the bail money and drinks the poison himself, taking his own life, instead of facing his members.
Then we have Minhyuk and Hyungwon. Hyungwon lay already dead in a bathtub, that he had already drank his portion of the poison to rid the pain he felt. (obviously there is something going on between the two). Minhyuk pours his portion into the tub before climbing in and laying beside Hyungwon. Minhyuk drowns himself which is why we see his hand still grab/tighten on Hyungwon’s hand (it was not a quick death).
I haven’t really put much thought into the others, considering the main points are with Shownu, Minhyuk and Hyungwon. But simply for the others is that they are rioting like the old man had insisted. Kihyun who is shown injured proves the flower method, by dropping his crutches and beginning to walk perfectly and even run with no pain.
At the end we see them all dressed in white, which I think is representing the fact they are all dead, and have killed themselves using the flowers. They are seen looking into the sky and at large “weird” object. I think the object is a heart, with the way it’s moving and it’s simplified appearance. The reason for this is that the flower’s toxins affect your heart.
I believe the video depicts them as dead to show that covering the pain (with poison/killing yourselves) is not a way to get rid of it, because they are still seen doing similar acts to what they were before. They also are shown to still be struggling and feeling pain which is a big clue to that.
The first scene is also when they are dead, that is before the music video goes back in time to show how they ended up there. I think it shows Hyungwon in pain to prove that no matter what pain with still exist. It shows him eating the flower to show that things haven’t changed for them.
Yes there are things to do with youth, and what not, but I won’t go into too much detail on that. I believe that each member only feel pain, the pain that causes them to use their poison once their youth/innocence is taken from them. Example one, is with Hyungwon and the flower. He innocently gives it to the officer but it was his innocent (youth) actions that made him a target, therefore, the hit striped him of his youth, it wasn’t until then that he felt pain. We also have Shownu who is innocently sitting by his grandfather’s bedside, when he realizes the betrayal, that’s when the pain starts (where his youth is beginning to be taken), but it truly comes and is taken when he finds out the truth, which he promptly “gives up”.
(Shownu also has something in a cloth when he runs up to the glass and is looking through it, but I can’t exactly figure out what… part of me wants to say it’s a gun and that he is threatening his grandfather to tell him, I don’t think he shoots him, one, because of the glass. two, I think it’s a threat… but I’m not 100% sure on that…)
… sorry if I wrote a lot about Shownu’s plot… he’s my bias and I think I “naturally” end up paying more attention to his parts… O.o lol oops.
Obviously this is just my guess and take on the music video, but I thought I’d share~
