Hellevator Observations

The hardest question for me to answer has always been "Where do I begin?" Hellevator, District 9, the survival show, the intro videos? Well, I think I finally figured it out: District 9! However, that is not actually where I started. I didn't figure this out until after I fully dissected Hellevator and the I am NOT album intro videos. So, even though I think D9 is the beginning of the lore, I'm starting us off with Hellevator!

I approach SKZ lore by first observing. I make quick notes of what I see that stands out or seems important. Then, I dissect the lyrics. This is obviously where my largest limitation is since I am not a native Korean speaker. I am learning, but plan to use some other creators as a resource to help with connecting any puns, stylistic choices, or other themes non-Korean speakers would miss! I'll be sure to credit them when I use their ideas.

Also, I am not knowledgeable about anime, so if I miss any of those references, tell me!

Remember, these are just my thoughts on the lore. I may even write something and then later change my mind - I tend to do that when I learn new information if it proves me wrong!

Hellevator Music Video and Hellevator Behind

Observations on first watch through:

• Graffiti

  • 2375

  • Grrr (Now called Beware)

  • Chandora without a crown

  • 3Racha with a crown

  • "Are you ready"

  • 4419

  • Wings

• Modes of Transportation/Movement

  • Shopping cart

  • Bicycle

  • Elevator (duh)

  • Stairs/Ladder

• Blue Lamp

• Fire

• Han is alone - alone or lonely

• Red lit area - they come from here to get to the large dome and then to elevator

• Felix has wing necklace

• Pink/Purple filter over video where showing the area with the furniture, where they are all together

• Basketball

• Speakers

• Sofa

Notes and observations with lyrics:

Time	Lyric	Note
5s	My life’s at a rock bottom’s cliff, I’m walking in a dark tunnel	Tunnel, at rock bottom. Han was alone (main character) getting into the Hellevator. Hyunjin is on the roof alone. Bowing/crawling in a C formation with Seungmin standing alone behind in center.
11s	I'm holding up this cruel, dreadful day alone	IN in the tunnel alone, someone walking the opposite direction (seungmin?). Chris and Seungmin are alone in the tunnel. Woojin is alone in the dome. Changbin's shirt has "mutate" on it. Changbin and LeeKnow and Felix are the in the same room. (LK/Felix in SKZFlix)
20s	My school hallway is fading away, on this unfamiliar way	Members are laying on their backs in a circle/clock formation with Changbin in the middle. They attempt to reach up to him and fall back down
23s	I’m so unlucky, I don’t have any map to tell me whether this road is right	Map mentioned. The idea of being lost, stray. They standup here and start to break out.
26s	There's no way to go up, what I’ve been through is a maze I never want to go back to	Maze mentioned. Right now they have no way up/out. They got to this place from a maze. Timeline of D9 and Hellevator
30s	I’m comforting myself shedding bloody sweats instead of bloody tears	Starting to move away from the circle. They started out on their knees representing them wallowing in their sorrow but now they are moving around, struggling to break free - they are trying again.
33s	They tell me such hills are just passing showers	Trials of them climbing these hills are really a storm that will pass by - it's not going to be forever. The struggles wont last forever.
36s	If you want success, put snares that are called failures	You can't be successful without failure. You don’t learn unless you make mistakes.
39s	So yes, I bite the baits that are called pain	They will choose a more difficult path even if it causes pain because they want to be successful.
42s	I’m wandering around, with my exhausted wings of passions temporarily folded	Wings mentioned. Why is there no way up if they have wings? Because their folded? Can they not open their wings? Are they are not strong enough? Maybe when they are alone, their wings of passion are not strong enough to carry them.
45s	My life’s at a rock bottom’s cliff, I’m walking in a dark tunnel
50s	I'm holding up this cruel, dreadful day alone
56s	Though I reach out my hand, there’s nobody to hold it	Now looking for help but noone is there.
1:04	They’re going up riding on my pain, my tears	They are being used as the stepping stone for someone's success.
1:10	I'm on a Hellevator	This is the first moment they all interact (and happily) with each other (not including choreo in the dome)
1:16	My Hellevator
1:22	I'm on a Hellevator	Han is alone on the Hellevator and it APPEARS that he is going to push the button for "Hell"
1:29	My Hellevator
1:35	I'm on a Hellevator	Burning books show up here - reference to school and growing up.
1:42	There’s nothing for me, nobody really cares about me	Back to the bottom of thinking - but hyunjin is sitting on the roof. The idea that I'm surrounded by people but I feel lonely"
1:45	No worries for me, just stone cold “Give up on your nonsense dreams”	They are all together, hanging out, walking, but Han seems distance.
1:48	Their words on giving up hit my ears, my despair only gets bigger	It's hard to ignore people telling to give up
1:51	Covering the sky called hope with the hands of the people beside me	The sky is their hope because they want to get out/get up "the sky is the limit" - reference wings?
1:54	I’m praying for myself to hold on, to save myself from their unkind stares
1:58	They’re arguing if I’m crazy or not, I’ll be somebody’s clown even if I make it through	Circus reference?
2:00	that’s what you’re going to be, stop trying to be a singer
2:03	I push myself through more hearing them talk	Using the hate to fuel their drive to keep going
2:06	My life’s at a rock bottom’s cliff, I’m walking in a dark tunnel
2:11	I'm holding up this cruel, dreadful day alone	"red room" appears with Han stepping out of it first alone
2:18	Though I reach out my hand, there’s nobody to hold it	Finds the hellevator
2:24	They’re going up riding on my pain, my tears	Han sets fire to the dome with a peace sign on the back of his shirt.
2:31	I'm on a Hellevator
2:37	My Hellevator
2:44	I'm on a Hellevator	The fire turns into flowers - are they fighting this with kindness?
2:50	My Hellevator
2:56	I'm on a Hellevator	Han "pushes" the Hell button on the elevator. It does move up. Stops at "H"
2:58	I’m going to find out where the exit is
3:01	To save me from being locked in the darkness
3:03	I frantically try to, run away	Felix is singing and only him and Chris are dancing while it shows Han opening the doors to lvl "H"
3:07	I’m on the Hellevator, I’m going up	"Through pain we are successful" Shows Han on lvl H and it's beautiful.
3:10	I’m escaping my dark past, lighting up my dark road ahead	Lighting the path, Stay, escaping the past (redlight duo)
3:12	I run as I could forget those tedious moments	Shows the rest of them coming OUT of the red room following Han
3:16	The bell of the new beginning that they’ve been ignoring rings	Is he talking to the rest of the group - who is "they" - this "they" feels different than the ones who talk shit/
3:18	I got on my Hellevator that’ll hold my hand and take me to the penthouse	HOLD MY HAND REFERENCE He went alone to get to the top BUT it is showing the rest of the group getting into the hellevator to follow him, to find him? -- Dance break -- Chris gets wings
3:37	I'm on a Hellevator	Han thinks he is alone and is running away but Chris catches up first - and then they are all there running after him.
3:42	My Hellevator	They are all standing alone except for Han and Chris
		They end by staring at the city in the sky - think it has something to do with mirror - mirror world. Eventually they have two moons - double of themselves in mvs.