How ITZY Created The Most Iconic Cinematography in 4th Generation Kpop

[@merafromyoutube]

Clarification: The video’s title is a play on words. Here, “iconic” doesn’t just mean “excellent” or “influential.” It also means “to use icons,” referring to ITZY’s cinematic archetypes. I’m not trying to say that any one group has the “best” cinematography. It means that ITZY uses *icons and archetypes* as the core of their visuals, and that their cinematography is incredibly singular because of it. Of course, I personally think it makes their videos brilliant. But who has the “best” is up to you.

[@sarahdonkor2827]

Can u do leeserafim pls😊

[@evi6629]

@@sarahdonkor2827 i don't think lesserafim has enough mvs to do any sort of analysis on yet, seeing that they really only have 2 (not counting impurities cause that's purely a dance video)

[@horacemania294]

Can you do Mamamoo pls

[@zvenbautista301]

if we are talking about cinematography in today's kpop, ateez is in that club together with itzy. just look at it for yourselves and you'll know why.

[@Lavwhs]

But itzy didnt creat the most more iconic cinematography, they cinematography its like shit, if you want iconic i need to met le sserafim aespa new jeans

[@awholesomehimbo]

When the world needed her most, she returned

[@somalighosh461]

Isnt this some taylor swift quote lmao

[@darigamedelkanova3712]

@@somalighosh461 it's from avatar the last airbender

[@emmanuellexu9436]

AVATARRR

[@TheOriginalVisual_]

@@somalighosh461 I- 💀 ITS AVATAR AAAAH

[@hihi615]

@@somalighosh461 I feel inclined to say someone missed out on an important piece of childhood.... if you have Netflix I hear the cartoon is on there. Although maybe you can but all 3 seasons cheap somewhere else.... (AND MY GOD AVOID THE 2010 MOVIE VERSION-)

[@isabelalexis]

“The point of Itzy is going too far and enjoying it no matter what” this is why I fell in love with this group

[@iseetheWAYVision]

YES!

[@Jadeddoxy]

FRRR

[@francescasolarino6843]

Honestly Itzy is what you get when a company really plans a debut. Every member is necessary to the equilibrium of the group. Every girl is different and unique, but they go so well together. And the most amazing thing is how well their visuals and voices fit their main concept so well. I've only seen this in them, G-idle and maybe Aespa.

[@bonk3800]

Itzy are so captivating because their debut was so well planned that when JYP started floundering around with their concept it was suuuuuuper obvious compared to their first 3 eras that their creative team was chasing trends instead of developing their identity further

[@Nameless_mixes]

I would also argue that Loona fits into this too. Despite their company’s poor management (especially when it comes to funds…), I think it’s obvious that the group’s debut was thoroughly planned.

[@francescasolarino6843]

@@Nameless_mixes nah, loona has too many filler members, plus they're 12 so it's difficult to use all of them strategically

[@cyc_lorama]

totally agree!! the other group i'd say gets pretty close is maybe dreamcatcher. redebut was so genius in that every member perfectly suits their concept and music style while still feeling distinct and unique. you even have character archetypes for the members, except they are horror, fantasy, and scifi while itzy is teen drama. jiu tends to be team leader/protagonist, gahyeon is the innocent heart of the group, dami is their cool stoic tank, etc. if you really tried, you could almost assign them classic adventure five-man-band roles

[@ishathakor]

@@Nameless_mixes like the other commenter said, loona has too many filler members. 12 is really just too big of a number for this type of thing where each member is unique but necessary and they all come together to be uniquely cohesive and bring their own vibe etc. i think 6 or 7 is the number of members where this concept maxes out because after that giving each member enough individual attention in a song to really make them feel necessary. loona specifically also just has filler members. a group like itzy has every member contributing something to everything - the vibe of the group, the sound of their songs, and skills. someone like vivi or gowon though isn't a great dancer or singer or rapper, barely gets any lines or center time, and so barely gets to contribute. it doesn't work. and they are important to the girl of the month concept, that's only relevant to the extent that it comes across in the music and performances, which it doesn't.

[@m00nl1ghtj3w3l]

"It's Yeji's world, and we're all living in it." TRUER WORDS HAVE NEVER BEEN SPOKEN

[@m00nl1ghtj3w3l]

Ok but Chaeryong's section is really heartwarming. I'm not even Chae biased but I am introverted and anxious so you describing her archetype of someone who learns how to stand her ground without becoming a "party animal" was really nice.

[@edvaedan9161]

Yes when people talk about 4th gen ‘it’ girls, her name doesn’t come up enough. She can do it all.

[@Cinnamarollin]

She is absolute 🔥 🔥 🔥

[@paradyne1T101]

*The Lioness* who is very capable of taking prey down *Entirely All By Herself!*

[@akiranok-pop7426]

I may be caring less and less about Kpop these days, but I’ll never fail to come back for a Mera video

[@merafromyoutube]

Omg thank you!!

[@Grifter010]

@@merafromyoutube Your creative writing never fails to tickle my brain. Happy New Year!

[@pretendtheresaname9213]

Saame

[@deareIIa]

me too 😗

[@iseetheWAYVision]

fr

[@_tuk]

"As a music video, Boys Like You does everything right." I have never felt more understood in my life. I loved the production abd direction this MV went. It's a relatively simple concept: Holloween party, sabotage, a little violence among girl friends, and reconciliation. It's like a mini teen movie with my favorite Kpop GG and it was so much fun, what more can I ask for? Thank you for including it here. It definitely deserves it. 💗

[@Jadeddoxy]

Frr

[@peonylarkspur645]

i am now VERY curious about the "4th-year fever" and how it's manifested in different kpop groups. sounds much more fun and interesting to hear about than the 7-year curse

[@merafromyoutube]

I should do a write-up…

[@pretendtheresaname9213]

I always see groups holding on to an idea as rookies, building upon it afterwards and changing it around halfway through their contract, 3 years and 6 months/4 years into it. Itzy seems to fit that. Some other groups simply skip the evolution part and go straight the sharp change after handing over their rookie cards. TXT being an example. Commercially that 3rd to 4th year is also where many groups peak so there's more space for change which either keeps the group afloat or sinks them.

[@agatahighstein]

@@merafromyoutube PLEASE

[@kianathompson8906]

@@merafromyoutube please do!!!

[@bonk3800]

@@merafromyoutube that would be Literally So Cool, I’d love to know more about this because it’s something I knew but didn’t have defined until you articulated it so clearly!!

[@Angela-jn6yt]

Even the members calling Lia a princess shows how well developed her image is

[@andredrw289]

Also can I say, describing Lia as a Pink Power Ranger is probably the best description one could give lol

[@agussvvv]

omg the chaeryeong part when you mentioned that she embodies introverted confidence and self love YES YES YES!!! i've never thought about it but it just makes so much sense and it also explains why she's the member that captivates me the most

[@acebase555]

This is the first time Itzy’s concept has completely made sense to me.

[@rjaw_itzy]

One thing I have always loved about Itzy's concept that not a lot of people seem to get is they don't have a certain look to their concept because their concept is self expression and individuality which can manifest itself in many ways. Meaning comebacks can look and sound totality different to each other and still come under the brand of "Itzy". You never now what to expect next. Definately looking forward to where they might go in the future!

[@Binchanareangels]

I'm so glad people actually realize ITZY isn't just about Concept and song it's about being A group being ITZY not being Kpop

[@itoo4884]

From chapter one I learned that Ryujin is Ryuoko (Kill La Kill), Lia is Zelda (or Stella from Winx Club), Yeji is Suki (Avatar the Last Airbender), Chaeryeong is Sailor Mercury, and Yuna is Starfire (or Sailor Moon) :)))). As opposed to the strong team chemistry identity their predecessors (Twice) champion, they're like the Avengers: a dream team with distinct individual presences.

[@agatahighstein]

I LOVE THISSS

[@pretendtheresaname9213]

Twice are like the X-Men.

[@beeszn]

I LOVE THIS, ESPECIALLY YEJI AS SUKIIIIII

[@poppagBallZ97]

YUNA IS DEFINITELY STARFIRE 🙌🏾

[@Jasruler]

Yeji is framed in a way which gives me the vibes of someone to whom the world reacts, rather than her reacting to the world. That was a tortured sentence.

[@isabellecowan2559]

"This is not an Outlaw Itzy; it's Yeehaw Claires" is an iconic line, I love it

[@xThePinkApple]

I wrote my BA thesis on how the images of successful girl groups were created in different countries and generations and surprisingly it's always been a very similar strategy (at least for the ones I analysed): confident, but not intimidating or exclusive, group of friends who are all individuals with unique personalities. As you pointed out, Itzy did _exactly_ that with their first few eras and were successful! Very interesting ^^ Great video!! (btw if anyone is wondering, for my BA I analysed the album covers and packagings of the first albums by The Supremes, Spice Girls, and Girls' Generation)

[@merafromyoutube]

Your thesis sounds fascinating, I wish I could read it.

[@xThePinkApple]

@@merafromyoutube thank you! I wish I could send it to you, but it's entirely in German lol But I _can_ tell you I got my main arguments from Simon Frith's theories on popular music, combined with Richard Dyer's work on archetypes in classic Hollywood

[@highland42]

what was your degree in? this sounds so fun!

[@xThePinkApple]

@@highland42 in German it's called Medienwissenschaften which is basically Media and Communication Studies! it's predominantly theory, but it's fun

[@xy6227]

Can I find it somewhere? I am German :)

[@imtired3861]

Why did the chaeryeong part make me tear up. I love the way you phrased that, finding empowerment and freedom through yourself and your friends in a more subtle way. Oh and I must say, your editing has really improved since you started making longer videos, especially your videos about cinematography. The combo of the cool editing and your use of language makes for a really enjoyable watch.

[@bonk3800]

Big Agree!!!

[@highland42]

no why'd i almost start crying too? it was very emotional for some reason, idk it just meant a lot to me

[@lunephase]

"Self-love and completeness are found in introversion just as much as extroversion." "Being yourself can include being happy by yourself, or happy with your friends at your level of comfort" If someone told this to me when I was younger, lots of heartache could have been avoided- Chaeryeong's my bias, and her segment here resonated with me "Yee-haw Claire's" had me giggling

[@AtinyKitty]

JYP himself said that Cheshire is his favorite itzy title. Now, does that mean he strictly enjoys the song the most? Or is that a hint that the blending of members will continue? That's the true question.

[@lucycarlay8547]

Maybe they are evolving to college and just took a gap year

[@JokerCrowe]

15:05 Is something that needs to be said more often. Someone being introverted is NOT a "character flaw", someone preferring books to nightclubs is not something they need to work on, and someone listening instead of talking does not mean that the person is "weak". Not everyone's a party animal and those people need to be accepted and respected just like the more "loud" people in the world. I really like that ITZY have that sort of member too that people looking for role models can look up to.

[@chansky235]

I just really miss Mera talking about Kpop and its music and I often just find myself rewatching her old videos constantly because I just love the way she talks about the things she loves and even the things she dislikes. Her words often help me see Kpop in an introspective light with deeper meaning, often highlighting the songs, the videos and the genre in ways I could honestly never find the words to describe, and she honestly does more than that. At the very least, I can see Kpop through her profound and personal perspective. Hope she's doing alright.

[@rainecolubio]

When you explained what this video was gonna be about, I immediately thought about girlcrush Ryujin and princess Lia. I especially love Lia’s concept, and I think it’s really just her. She embodies it well. She’s naturally and effortlessly chic plus she’s known to be super witty during variety shows. She’s the one who consistently finds loopholes and wins games not through brute force but with her brilliant mind

[@wehave0219]

and THATS why they are 4th gen leaders, leading a generation doesn’t mean music show wins or how viral you are, leading a generation means how much are you referenced or how much changes you did in the generation, how much you raised the bar for every person that comes after you.

[@lctj.9989]

When ITZY debuted, there were other KPop girl groups that debuted that same year and the year after like Everglow and Aespa. I got really drawn to ITZY the most bcos I get to see the individual members shine in each of their MV. Their original concept makes people appreciate each individual members. In contrast to other groups where we don’t even get to have a close-up look on each member; and only few gets highlighted.

[@lctj.9989]

I think what makes ITZY special is that every member stands out in their own way. They all have relatively the same popularity.

[@melliexcx]

@@lctj.9989 they really don’t.

[@isabellecowan2559]

I was just talking about cinematography in kpop; this video could not have come at a better time - thank you for it, it's lovely as your work always is. To build on your discussion, I think the cinematography in Itzy's two Japanese comebacks have really interesting things to say, in that I believe Lia's model is being pushed with Yuna and Chaeryoung are being paired. One of the biggest things I noticed was Yuna and Chaeryoung becoming mirrors of each other. in Voltage, both of their solo scenes are with motercycles, but while Yuna is surrounded by constant motion and red, Chaeryoung stands still in a flickering blue city. Yuna interacts with the bike and moves around her set, while Chaeryoung's camera follows her quiet actions as she stares down her camera. In Blah Blah Blah, Chaeryoung is in a room filled with words, printed noise, while Yuna stands alone in a hallway of mirrors. At the end of the music video, they both wink to the camera, but with different eyes. Not only do I think the constant mirrors really works for the idea that Yuna is forced to play two roles, but the choice to place Chaeryoung in a room full of words with multiple mics, and then have her rip the words up I believe reinforces the idea of their roles. Lia meanwhile sticks perfectly in her assigned idea. In Voltage, she alone has a set clear from machinery; it is white, cold, and abstract, and Lia starkly stands out in black with long boots, but also signature earrings. She seems confident and in charge. In Blah Blah Blah, she is in a room of machinery, wearing a hot pink (though it seems like a different shade) dress that directly contrasts any other outfit worn in the MV. She is also connected to the machinery via these white lines, though whether she controls them or they control her is left up to interpretation. TLDR: these themes apply in the Japanese music videos and give me hope for the future of Itzy's cinematography; Lia's scenes in particular seemed to harken back to the coding in a way that is new but at least to me, recognizable

[@dinoddd007]

Do you happen to know what camera or cameras are used to shoot these music videos? I'm impressed with the vibrant color saturation of them. Edit: I just found the answer in this video. At 25 minutes into it, an Itzy music video is shown being shot with an Arri Alexa, probably the Mini LF. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHeuo2lra6Z8ndk

[@piko555]

OMG I LOVE THIS

[@boombayuna536]

yuna deserves way more love tbh

[@yohanedescends4683]

kpop fans hate confident girly idols. same reason why wonyoung and jennie are so hated. its sad because they've done nothing wrong but be themselves but ifans hate feminine idols and attack them. the hate comes from other women as well, so much internalised misogyny

[@xyzme1217]

Their mvs, cinematography, camera angles are the best in gg

[@elladyson8886]

I remember noticing after itzy's debut a distinct increase in people asking, 'who owned this era?' (especially on instagram), and i never fully understood why itzy brought this change to the forefront, but this video helps it make a lot more sense, the distinctive styles left an impact on us, even when I couldn't recognise it! as a side note, I love your work, brilliant video as always!

[@cogito-ergo-summ]

The MVs are good at making Itzy be empowering for every single girl! The party girl, the shy girl, the mature girl and so on! I especially liked what you said in Chaeryeong's part, that there is power in introversion too. I think many girls need to be reminded of that and learn to love their more reserved personalities, so Itzy did a good job! This video was a masterpiece as always! Thankyou for your amazing work! Happy New Year, everyone!🥳

[@Bizz293]

Midzys need to watch this. Ihonestly loved this. I keep seeing shorts comparing the girls’ stage presence and Lia is always last. That’s not fair, because her style/archetype is not strong or sexy, but chic and posh (Yeji and Ryujin are strong and defiant, whileYuna and Chae are playful and sexy). There’s no way of really comparing the girls, they all bring something different that is essential to Itzy’s overall concept.

[@donny5843]

I've been a midzy since debut (longer than I've stanned any other group) and the characters of all the girls have always been something that appealed to me. As a teen, it's hard to find your place in the world, but seeing strong confident ladies doing there thing helped me alot. When you started talking about Lia, I nearly cried to be honest, because while I've always identified with ryujin as the "I don't give a damn" girl, lias quiet confidence and social maturity speaks to me more now that I've grown up a little. Chaeryoung also speaks to me in her cool shy confidence. Thank you so much for highlighting one of my favorite aspects of my favorite Group ❤💗

[@khadija7235]

I’ve only realised lately how confident Lia actually is- different to Ryujin’s confidence. She’s always been care-free, doesn’t take herself too seriously and is a class clown to make her members laugh and smile 😂❤️ She really ties the group together.

[@donny5843]

@@khadija7235 I agree so much

[@haewonized]

Honestly you would make a great creative director bc I wouldn’t even think they meant to have all of these representations or themes but you make it that way anyway which is so cool to me I could never be able to think about these like you did

[@justdb4]

Creative Director

[@haewonized]

@@justdb4 yeahhh that’s what it is lol thanks! I can’t think straight sometimes oml lol

[@lilrose2671]

This video summarizes so many things I've wanted to say about ITZY for a while. In terms of cinema, it pretty much sums up the journey of each member plus the group as whole. But it also calls out the back-and-forth that ITZY's last few comebacks have been suffering from. I love how you characterize each member down to their archeotypes and characteristics, as those are reflective of their real life personas. I very much agree with the last portion of the video; what ITZY's future looks like and how the fanbase as well as the general public react to it very much seems like its "up in the air" right now. "4th year fever" makes it sound like this year will be the "make-or-break" for ITZY as a whole. I'm interested to find out. Great video btw!

[@urnottea]

omggggggggg MERA HAS RETURNED. loved the vid as always. I'm always amazed by ur analytic skills n the way u word everything is beautiful

[@merafromyoutube]

Thank you omg

[@urnottea]

@@merafromyoutube Happy new year ☺🥳🎉🎇

[@Catcatrulesthepower]

Back to this video essay after watching their comeback pre release song. Hope to see your new analysis on Bet On Me video

[@justsomegirl_xiii]

I think itzy, ive, and blackpink have some of the most memorable girl group videos I’ve seen so far

[@star-miubin]

Ouuu now that you mentioned IVE, I wanna know how their cinematography is!

[@ronniejones3719]

I would love to see itzy in a circus setting. I know that's a little stereotypical, but it would offer an opportunity to assign different roles to each of them. Like Yeji as an animal tamer, Chaeryoung as the fortune teller, things sorta in that vein. It would offer a great opportunity for individual coding. The only problem is that the circus concept is already associated with its own colour scheme and vibes, and I'm worried that those would clash with itzy's visual style.

[@missingwalle9364]

This thoroughly encapsulates my thoughts about Itzy. Especially with Lia's and Chaeryeong's parts bc it's such an easy thing to overlook what their archetypes contribute to ITZY's ethos, but they represent essential and important, albeit often overlooked, parts about what it means to be an individual and confident person.

[@chansky235]

Wait is someone gonna point out that at the end, Mera says "I see the future", but the MV shown is ICY like "ICY the future", so it's also like a play on words.

[@Liviahel]

Cheshire mv is based on the concept of what is seem to be fake or true, and vice-versa, and by the end of the video you can see the fake scenarios being broken down and shown for what they truly are, maybe that's why they didn't explore they're individual images so much.

[@everglowup]

I may have fallen out of love with their music but their music videos will never go out of style for me

[@pruitv4]

hi everglowup, aka winterosy, kpopfication, yoshified, planet minjae, planet tokki, nabi core, plumslight, peachxtaehyung, choerrys lab, jinsoulful, kcube, jennieluv, ningverse, jisoology, fairygowon, ningelic, minacore, KARINA RUNS AESPA, straykids, idk, ranting turret, Hapus Rapus Episode Archiver etc

[@pruitv4]

stop trying so hard to look nice when you already got exposed on a daily basis with your hate accs wishing idols terrible things to happen and have no shame to use the same idols popularity in your toxic channel just for some attention.

[@iseetheWAYVision]

I'm glad someone sees ITZY, not so focused on the music, but ITZY as a whole.

[@deelan234]

the way you were able to describe each member of itzy and the archetype they represent so well is amazing !! im so glad that you are opening more people up to fully understanding exactly who itzy are as a group. itzy IS the concept, they dont try to mould each member to fit something different every time they have a comeback, like so many people want and instead they have built an identity that fits who the members are on and off stage.

[@cheesenbeans]

I've personally been analyzing itzy's mvs to connect them together into a theory, and it's soooo nice to hear someone else's perspective. I've often found myself noticing these member codes but not really knowing how to word it, and oH my you've done it so well!!! Amazing video as always :)

[@TwiceXpenn]

I always thought Lia stoud out the most from the start, she wasnt as bad or rebellious as the other members shes like mom or queen of itzy and im glad you pointed this out

[@Denelle18]

As a Midzy, thank you for this very honest review. A music video is a telling capsule of what the era will look like for each group and I only pray Div 2 (The JYP division that holds ITZY) will watch this video. I believe in ITZY no matter what comeback they will offer but now I understand why some mvs were viewed unfavorable and mediocre. Not every era is their best era but every era is an embodiment of their signature "all in us!". ITZY-MIDZY Naija!

[@alexrenault151]

I’m blown away by your video and analysis, it’s incredible and made me realize so much about ITZY that I kinda knew since 2019 but never put words on it

[@qianyue.c]

I really hope you make a "My Top Kpop Songs of 2022." I really love watching them every year and reminiscing. Love you mera!

[@evagiilbert]

as a teenage girl growing up on itzy (was 13 when not shy came out and when i stanned and am now 15), i can fully see myself variying between members not only in their seperate representations of teenagehood but also just in their irl personalities. i can wake up and relate more to chaeryeong but the next day be a ryujin and that’s normal, that’s being a hormonal teenager in a world filled with conflicting influences in media. where twice represents growing up in their group concepts itzy contradicts that by showing that growing up isn’t always such a “straight line”, you flow between moods and personalities and in each concept itzy are able to show each type and icon at the same time. i’m excited to see where they go but even when i move on from kpop i feel i will always kind of have this in mind, because it’s ok to grow up and it’s ok to fluctuate through moods and that’s what itzy has taught me

[@isabellecowan2559]

What a lovely way to end this year; I hope you had a fantastic 2022 and the world will be gentle to you next year!

[@merafromyoutube]

It’s so great to see you!! Happy New Year!

[@yasminkhud2444]

I wish I saw this video when I was getting to know ITZY it's such a good video on introducing the members and gurlll Ur vocab is like ... Amazing

[@gwen7819]

THANK YOU for this video omg. ppl have been downplaying my girls this past year and we need to regain the love back to itzy

[@Mushy_mush_yt]

"Lia is Itzy's queen bee" that's exactly what i feel whenever i watch Itzy's music videos

[@chansky235]

I can't describe how much I love your videos. This was amazing from start to finish.

[@nonfragile]

Your videos are the reason I started listening to kpop a few years ago so thank you so much Mera!!

[@merafromyoutube]

That’s crazy, I’m so glad to hear that!

[@iridescentcloud273]

Happy New Year Mera, thank you for releasing such a treat for the last day of 2022! And the individual font choice for each member was such a nice touch

[@merafromyoutube]

Happy New Year! I have this problem where I can’t stop downloading fonts for every single scenario I can think of, so I figured it was time to use them.

[@iridescentcloud273]

@@merafromyoutube literally debating buying all of the Barrett Reid-Maroney fonts because they are on sale so I perfectly get the sentiment 🥲

[@sky.5165]

can we take a minute to appreciate the word choices and sentence construction, it's so simple yet on point and efficient. I love a well researched and planned video.

[@makaylaxcx]

new mera upload finally balance has been restored in my life

[@Greek_Irene]

What I like is that Cheshire and Boys Like You helped all the discography kinda weave together for me. There was very bold switched from Not Shy, Mafia in the Morning, Loco, and Sneakers, but the Cheshire album brought me back to what I liked musically about the group, whereas Boys Like You MV gave me a nice setup switch into Cheshire. Making it a SEAMLESS transition from Sneakers to Boys Like You to Cheshire. Boys Like You was a Halloween MV and it's definitely heavy in your head when you watch the MV that this IS a Halloween MV, and Cheshire sat you down, slapped you up top the head and brought you back to business. If you gave me a set up of just Dalla Dalla, ICY, WANNABE, Boys Like You, and Cheshire, I would easily tell you it's the same group.

[@julsegs]

I really love this thoughtful but also honest Team Analysis of them. This makes me appreciate them more, while also making me aware of what actually made them strong and ITZY. I hope they'll make it and triumph. 🥺💛

[@oncefortwice1389]

I love how you describe things! Every time I come across a video of yours, I’m blown away by how you articulate your points. You show how much research, analysis, and thought you put into all of this, and it’s enjoyable every time 😁

[@merafromyoutube]

Thank you so much, omg

[@iseetheWAYVision]

yes yes yes this video was so refreshing to me !

[@bonk3800]

Wow, this video is fascinating because we have almost entirely opposite takes on itzy’s concept. I’ve never picked up on the members’ visual coding before, and I don’t think I could have matched your descriptions to all the members the same way I could match all of blackpink’s color palettes to all of the members at the very start of your Blackpink video. EDIT: I DONT MEAN TO KNOCK THE VALIDITY OF THE VIDEO!! I more want to acknowledge and appreciate the skill and eye it takes to pick out these patterns and to read JYP’s mind. my understanding of itzy tracks a linear storyline of one girl’s character development through line, rather than 5 individual archetypes all sharing a screen. their most successful eras, to me, throw the Itzy Character (a young woman defined by power and self-assurance) into new circumstances - falling in love a la not shy, experiencing heartbreak like in Loco, and teasing-taunting along the lines of Cheshire, while their least successful eras throw their lyrical persona away and don’t give her anything to do or any concepts to grow into (imo, Dalla Dalla, Icy, and Wannabe taught us this character and developed her individual facets). Also, I thought your point about Chaeryeong’s introvert archetype was riveting, because I’ve always thought that JYP really didn’t know what to do with her and sort of shoehorned her into the quieter, introvert role - like they wanted her to kind of be a second Yeji but she didn’t have the mystery and sharpness so she fell by the wayside. this is also unabashedly why I love not shy era - it’s chaeryeong’s era. She’s doing yeji, and to some extent Lia is doing yuna, and Ryujin almost does Chaeryeong with the quiet team support role. Yeji is doing Lia’s queen bee, and that would leave Yuna as Ryujin’s rebel but that doesn’t really fit. I doubt it was a conscious style swap anyways (maybe not visually from a shot selection standpoint, but from a character archetype standpoint). in fairness, I still have No Idea what the outlaw concept was about. I also feel like Cheshire was Itzy’s most Itzy comeback since probably the wannabe-not shy days, and it gives me hope for the groups’ future. the itzy character is back, but she trades out her youthful bombast for slightly more adult slyness, and it works to grow the character up and move her forward while keeping the power that is her most defining trait, so it’s interesting that as an MV cheshire almost abandons their visual coding. tl;dr we have wildly different itzy takes (and boy do I hope I wrote mine coherently, please tell me if it’s not) but I really enjoyed seeing your thoughts (and having your thoughts provoke my thoughts!!! it’s why I keep coming back to your channel) I hope 2023 is nothing but kind to you, your health, your loved ones, and your editing snacks. Happy New Year❣️❣️

[@apolop.r.4325]

"This is not an outlaw ITZY, it's yee haw Claire's" I LAUGHED SO HARD 😂😂😂 Please never stop making videos, your thorough analyses and elocuent writing never fail to amaze me 💕

[@Friedensp4nzer]

Your videos are so interesting. They make me look into a group even though I know already that I don't like the 2 - 3 title tracks thatI heard (except that I really like Cheshire). Makes me give them another try, at least listen to more of their songs and form a fresh opinion.

[@deemidust]

This was such an interesting video Mera! So glad to see you return and grace us with a video closing out the year. Would you consider doing a video analyzing Red Velvet's contrast when it comes to their "red" and "velvet" sides? That'd be quite interesting to watch!

[@midnightblue_s]

Was just rewatching your edits! Best way to end the year is to watch your videos!!

[@merafromyoutube]

Thank you so much!!

[@midnightblue_s]

@@merafromyoutube I am so happy you replied me! Happy New Year! Will wait for your top 20 songs video🥰

[@bonk3800]

big agree!! I come back to the red velvet and rock videos all the time just to marvel at the skill and quality

[@midnightblue_s]

@@bonk3800 that video inspired me to listen to rock! One of my fav videos of her

[@bonk3800]

@@midnightblue_s me too!!

[@zippityzantastic5160]

I think this is a big piece of why early Itzy felt much stronger and iconic than recent Itzy for me - thanks for spelling it all out so explicitly! And thank you for calling out the horrible transition in the Sneakers MV from royalty to...uh, other stuff. I'll always be sad we didn't get a full "Itzy as princesses/knights" vid. Personally, I LOVE the Not Shy MV and HATE the Boys Like You MV, but you make well-reasoned and insightful points about both. It doesn't change my opinion, but it adds depth/complexity to my own thoughts and helps me understand why others might disagree. I really value that in a critic, so thanks for doing what you do!

[@zippityzantastic5160]

Also...if we're talking anime characters, Yeji's archetype is totally Zakuro from Tokyo Mew Mew. Mature and aloof, model by day and wolf girl by night!

[@sarahnicolau59]

I have been praying for you to do the itzy version of that BLACKPINK cinematography analysis ever since you mentioned it in the video that there's a possibility you might do one. And on New Year's Eve? You're really not entering into the new year without any debts. Happy New year🎉😊

[@merafromyoutube]

I believe I promised this video for last winter… so I am clearly the Most Punctual Ever and not at all disorganized. Happy New Year!!

[@sarahnicolau59]

@@merafromyoutube Better late than never besides you added a legally blond reference so in my eyes you are completely and totally excused. ❤

[@bonk3800]

@@merafromyoutube the predictable paladin who’s always on time is never quite as much fun as the rogue who materializes unpredictably but comes bearing such remarkable gifts

[@shawarma4life]

ahh this vid was so entertaining, and how you recognized and noticed these things is crazy to me, like how ryujin always interrupts lines or how chaeryeong has sort of developed overtime. this really got me to appreciate their music videos more and i hope this vid gets more attention

[@socialreveluv5428]

I will never understand how people have the time to think about all of the theories and facts about a music video or lore of a specific group. It always seems like people are guessing or just trying to interpret it the right way but it makes so much sense most of the time, I am literally blown away. I appreciate the hard work creating this video

[@geniinabottle2005]

I have always thought this about ITZY. How they are presented in teenage stereotypes and how well it works. Never knew how to word it, but you basically hit the nail for me. Great video!

[@weiszly]

this is exactly the complexity they've always deserved this is their lore thank you mother

[@beeszn]

you perfectly explained why i love itzy and what drew me to them in the first place. i have developed a very strong "be yourself or be nothing" philosophy in the past few years, and it's perfectly embodied in itzy. i love how fun, stupid, and absolutely *itzy* itzy is. it doesn't matter if things are kitschy, contrasting, or over the top, because that's exactly what they're trying to accomplish. and while sneakers era as a whole was veeerry difficult to get through as a midzy (especially since it was my first comeback w them 💀), and cheshire only half answered my questions regarding their future as a group, i can't help but be confident that they'll become that explosive itzy once again. cheshire, while different from their other eras, i think is a sign of itzy's production team getting back on their feet after the strange disaster that happened with sneakers and the overall uncertainty that started with not shy. and the boys like you music video? hilarious. camp. exactly what we need from itzy. was the song kinda stupid? absolutely. but i think that's what makes it even more appealing. anyways, awesome video. you just made me fall for itzy even more.

[@_z1pporah]

I think with itzy and kpop groups overall, we end up picking out bias base of who we want to be like or who we are. Like I love ryujin and yeji cus they are like who u want to be but chaeryeung and yuna have similar traits I have too. Itzy really is iconic ❤️

[@cyuinanotherlife]

chaeryeong*

[@_z1pporah]

@@cyuinanotherlife my bad

[@umne9262]

i cant believe your content is free

[@Annie.s_Corner]

I absolutely loved the Cheshire MV and only thanks to this analysis I realized why. The ways the concept of member coding is explained in this video makes me clearly see the lack of it in Cheshire and I think it's absolutely intentional and effective. It gives me the creeps in the most lighthearted and fun way possible (couse it's ITZY, they're sunshine in a human form), but these still are the creeps and they deliver the message. The girls have been paving their way and defying people's expectations of them, proving their individuality etc., but through this they also learned the ways of the world. And here they kind of give us a snippet of what they can do with this knowledge. They can adapt, transform, catch you off guard and become one unstoppable force (as a coven of witches for example). They say that the world would not see what's coming if it keeps on trying to dismiss their individual value (like the guy in Boys Like You). Be careful of what of wish for coz ITZY are skilled enough to turn your wishes true but with their own mischievous twist😈

[@moonie1488]

this perfectly explained how I feel about itzy, their early days and well...now. im really happy you talked about them I couldn't put things in better words than you even if I tried mera

[@jelenamandic5079]

i don’t think i can put into words how much i love your videos

[@acebase555]

I am so glad you’re back! I love your videos. I particularly love this one - Why You Can’t Look Away from Blackpink is the first of your videos I watched and remains one of my favorites. This video explains why I haven’t enjoyed watching Itzy’s videos recently - even though there’s a lot going on in the Sneakers and Cheshire videos, there’s much less to hold my interest. I’m a little sad you didn’t talk about Voltage. This video has only strengthened my belief that Voltage is the perfect next step for Itzy. It’s a more mature take on Itzy’s sound and, despite the much more unified theme (vehicles?) for the individual scenes, their characterizations are very much intact. Yeji lounges, cat-like, on a luxury car. Chaeryeong and Yuna both have motorcycles in their individual colors, but the vibes are very different. Chaeryeong leans back onto her bike and makes knowing eye-contact with the viewer, while Yuna moves through a series of different poses and vamps and pouts at the Camera. Ryujin swaggers around some sort of boiler room. Lia’s scene is the odd one out for me - she’s in some sort of ice realm, giving off an ice-princess vibe. Her scene also has a much lighter, brighter, paler color scheme than all the others - it’s silvery white, so Lia’s black hair and black and white clothing stand out, while the others are black and deep grey with pops of vibrant colors on the members themselves. The cinematography is very in line with each member’s coding. I think Itzy is going to have to evolve their concept - teen crush becomes less believable as members progress farther into their 20s. I hope they maintain some of the same attitude - I would have liked Cheshire better with some individual scenes of Yeji, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, Lia, and Yuna playing individual tricks. It might even be cool if they started popping in and out of each others’ scenes as part of tricks, similar to that part where Chaeryeong disappears under a cloth and Yeji appears and takes a bow.

[@kheshirekat9623]

When Ryujin debuted I instantly thought of JYP Actress Shin Yeeun role in Ateen (Do Hana) this was like the year leading up to ITZY debut and she was insanely viral on Korea media

[@farkinarkin5099]

LOL. I came here for a dose of the hot visuals and choreo that is ITZY. Ended up getting a masters level course in staging and cinematography. XD. Dammmmit! I learned stuff. Go ITZY!

[@idontknow1356]

I barely listen to kpop anymore but your videos manage to increase my interest every time

[@kss_2277]

This was such a good video and put into words one of the reasons I love ITZY so much

[@قشورالدنجال]

Not this dropping at the perfect time - i was just looking for something to watch while eating still praying for that "best red velvet b-sides" reupload tho 👀👀

[@merafromyoutube]

I FORGOT I WAS GOING TO REUPLOAD THAT.

[@tanakayyy4]

I've never watched a better analysis video than this. Everything made sense and now I want to do my own research on it.

[@disaster4550]

I love this kind of videos, I could watch them about any group, your content is so great тт

[@asp11177]

You truly are a gem in the kpop youtube space !!!

[@julsh439]

I adore this video, it’s written so well and it’s sooooo interesting, i didn’t know something like music videos could be so deep. I take an art course and honestly this has inspired me to work hard to create moving and interesting things, thank youuuuuu ❤

[@thiagokga]

Oh my God, I love you so much for doing this video. You were able to say everything i feel about itzy (my favorite gg) the way i feel. If i dont agree with everything, i do with 95% of the video. This is fenomenal. Thank you

[@kiwihue]

i absolutely love this video, it's analyses like these that really keep me invested in kpop as an industry. i always loved itzy's earlier MVs but was never really able to put my finger on why, and this video does a great job explaining! ive found such a new respect and appreciation for itzy through this and i'm so excited to see what they do next. awesome work

[@boppop8703]

The fact that I watched the whole video and did not feel bored amazed me. Subscribed 💙

[@lizzyraine5511]

Thank you for all of the positive things you said about introverts during Chaeryoung's section.

[@hefeibao]

It makes you wonder if JYPE had a concept for Itzy and found trainees who matched, or found the trainees and then used the coding to match who they already were. E.g. did they find girls who matched the concept, or matured the concept around its members?

[@daskrinalps6262]

to me, itzy might've grown shallow sonically, but i cannot deny that their music video cinematography is the best eye candy ive seen in a while. flashy, distinct and personified to their group. every single one of their mv's are so memorable.

[@mrnewvegas-n8q]

Your videos are incredible mera. I eagerly wait for every video, the way you speak is just so comforting and informative and I know life gets busy, but I really really hope you continue making content. If you considered making a Patreon, I would 100% be a patron

[@RudeMekanicals]

Thank you for another thoroughly enjoyable essay. I particularly appreciated the Mafia analysis!

[@andimoncasas]

This also makes me look at the new girlgroups in a new light. Itzy is the prized rookie group once as well, their achievements set the tone for what this new era of kpop groups can achieve with its bigger audience than ever before. With the current gp bouncing from one new group to the next, I wonder if any of then would also face a similar dilemma that of Itzy.

[@stan_yukika]

Yayyyy Mera!!! I’ve missed your commentary sm! 😭😭

[@merafromyoutube]

I missed you guys too!