Critical Analysis :: Monsta X “All In”

If you’re a big Monsta X fan like I am, then you’ve probably watched the music video for “All In” and have a whole list of questions about it. Upon first watch, I was just as confused as you all were. However, after watching it numerous times, I have a few theories about the plotline. Starship Entertainment and the filming team did a wonderful job with crafting the music video and making a subtle plotline that only a close analysis would expose.

On May 18th, boy group Monsta X came back with their third mini album, The Clan Part.1 LOST, the first part of a multi-segment series. Agency representatives expressed motives to tell a story of feelings of hurt and being lost, revealing that extensive planning had gone into the creation of the story. Like many other groups, Monsta X has shifted away from the usual dance-centric music video and towards exciting, story-based short films. The mysterious title of the album, along with video teasers, suggested they would be exploring a more intense, even dystopian theme. As a fan of horror, dystopian themes, and action films, the prospect of Monsta X starring in their own thrilling series increased my anticipation for the music video release.

The music video for “All In” did not fall short of my expectations. Originally, I was dismayed at the prospect of Starship Entertainment putting unnecessary dance cuts in the video, knowing it would deprive the video of a proper storyline. However, to my delight, the video contained no dance scenes and only shots with relevance to the plot, giving the video both flow and sustenance. Every shot mattered and shed more insight into the direction the group was taking with their new concept.

The focus of this analysis will be on the music video, as my commentary about the music will be included in my album review. I’ll go into detail about my plotline theories and the curiosities I have. You are free to disagree, so please share your thoughts with me in the comment section.

I will be discussing my theories as if they are facts, but my theories may or may not be close to the real storyline. This is all based on my conjecture of the plot.

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As a creative writer and a film fan, the characterization of Monsta X in the video jumped out to me. The way they were dressed, their interactions with one another, their expressions, and their actions were all indicators to me about how the characters were meant to be portrayed.

The story centers around a group of boys living in a village located in a valley: Shownu, Wonho, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Jooheon, and I.M. All of them are friends and some possibly even siblings.

I apologize for any typos. I didn’t proofread, but I spent a lot of time on this. (~5-6 hours)

Trigger Warning: Abuse, Death, Violence, Drugs, Self-Harm/Suicide

Introduction (0:00-0:36)

The music video begins with the ending, which is typical of many thought-provoking films. It runs through several intense cuts, along with “Monsta X” and “The Clan Part . 1 Lost.” In the first 30 seconds. The members, dressed in white and wielding guns, are running through wreckage, with ash, snow, or debris falling from the sky. They are fleeing from the scene, looking behind them. Something drastic has occurred, and they need to escape.

Starting from 0:11, one of the major plotlines are introduced, with an injured Hyungwon and Minhyuk depicted on rubble beneath a bridge. Minhyuk reaches for a flower, which he then places in an unconscious Hyungwon’s mouth. After these shots, a horn echoes in a vast, empty space, signalling the arrival—or perhaps the end—of something big. Along with a few eerie cracks and sound effects, a large flag billows in the wind with an “X” emblazoned across it. This flag represents a key part to the story, with flashing lights illuminating it. What does the flag symbolize? What of the “X?” Who or what does the flag represent?

The first 36 seconds sets up the entire storyline of the video and raises immediate concerns. Who are these characters? Who are what are they running from, and why? What caused their injuries? What does the blue flower and the “X” flag entail? All of these questions are addressed throughout the video through ingenious subtlety.

The Conflict (0:37-1:44)

Every great story has a conflict or problem that needs a resolution. Starting from 0:37, Monsta X gives us just that. A series of black and white shots depict the members walking around a village together, suggesting this is the past. There are old-fashioned buildings, sloping, imperfect, cracked streets, and bumpy stone steps for them to walk on. The village is on a hill-side and in a valley, with densely-packed homes built on an elevated hierarchy.

Although there is now a transition to color, most colors are absent, setting up a dark and bleak atmosphere. Two elders selling shoes on the street are accosted by a group of armed, uniformed men. Monsta X (Shownu, Jooheon, Hyungwon) enters the oppressive scene, defending the elders and drawing the men’s attention to them instead. Jooheon boldly approaches one of the men, pointing the soldier’s weapon at his head, prompting him to make a move against him. A smiling Hyungwon presents a blue flower to another. This flower is a symbol of silent rebellion and alludes back to the beginning, where Minhyuk placed the same type of flower in his mouth.

Following the tension between the three boys and the officials, all seven members then gather underneath a stone bridge. Four older men approach them, and a man carrying a thick book confronts them. Hyungwon stands up and is struck across the face, lowering his head as the man leaves. The scene cuts to Minhyuk (1:15), whose expression tightens at the altercation.

The story transitions, focusing on Minhyuk and Hyungwon. Hyungwon is sitting with his head lowered and a white mask covering his face. He swats Minhyuk’s hand away when Minhyuk tries to remove the cover, but eventually allows him to take it off. Underneath the mask is Hyungwon’s battered face, with dark bruises and cuts covering it. These events introduce the relationship between the man and Hyungwon, along with the connection between Hyungwon and Minhyuk’s stories. When Minhyuk sees Hyungwon’s injuries, he runs out of the room.

This sequence of events introduces Hyungwon’s story and the relationship between Hyungwon and the man who hit him, along with Hyungwon and Minhyuk’s relationship. The man is Hyungwon’s father, who has been abusing him. Minhyuk is Hyungwon’s close friend, and once he finds out about Hyungwon’s silent suffering, he is unsure of how to react and runs out of the room to collect his thoughts—or exact revenge.

At 1:23, it cuts into Shownu’s story. An old man is sleeping on a bed and is hooked up to something. On the bedside table, there are cups, a cork bottle, and a tray filled with what could be food, tools, or medicine. Shownu stares at a white mask in his hand, the same mask that was hiding Hyungwon’s bruised face. meets up with Jooheon in an alley, and after checking to make sure nobody is around, Jooheon presents him with a black bag. The contents of the bag are hidden, but Shownu and Jooheon exchange knowing glances. The bag holds a gun, and the song conveniently says “bang bang” in the background at the conclusion of that scene. Shownu and Jooheon are introduced as siblings or close friends who have a sick, dying relative (likely a grandfather). Out of options, they have no choice but to take further initiative by coming up with a solution to their grandfather’s sickness—but what’s their proposed solution?

The Flower (1:45-1:57)

The story takes a drastic, unexpected turn. Suddenly, the members are gathered in circle, with Jooheon standing and waving a plant in his hand. They are shrouded in white smoke, with a raging fire at the center and flowers surrounding them. Something is amiss. They have colors painted on their faces, “X” symbols on their bodies, and crazed expressions, smiling, twitching, and swaying back and forth. They reach up when Jooheon does and concoct a deep blue liquid by boiling the heads of blue flowers in beakers: the same flowers that were shown in the beginning. Shownu tosses his head back and laughs, as if a demonic possession has taken hold of him.

What’s happening here? Why did it abruptly transition from Hyungwon and Shownu’s storyline to this? It’s clear that the boys have involved themselves with something dark. It appears that they have started a cult and are conducting a mystical practice involving the blue flower. The smoke, paint, “X” symbols, beakers, and their ritualistic practice suggests they have concocted a potion and have founded a movement or cult that will be central to the plot.

The Buildup (1:58-2:10)

Not only does the music start building up at this point, but the plot as well. The story intensifies as an angry Minhyuk, along with Wonho and I.M, begin marching forth. Jooheon and Shownu are then seen running in a separate shot and Jooheon throws the black bag we saw earlier to Shownu. Capture in CCTV (security video surveillance) footage, the two raid a shop and Shownu points a concealed gun at the shopkeeper, who immediately puts his hands up in surrender.

We know this is CCTV footage, because it is shot from a high angle and shows the face of the people who enter the store. Security cameras are always placed above the counter or in corners of the store to provide an overview of the shop and capture faces of people who enter. Why are they robbing the store when they were seen protecting innocent people just earlier?

The video jumps back to Minhyuk at 2:05, who is carrying a container of gasoline. Wonho and I.M are now wearing white masks, the same one Hyungwon was wearing and the same one Shownu was looking at. They are rushing towards a building, armed with a purpose.

We return to Shownu’s story. While Jooheon stashes the shop items in the black bag, Shownu walks up to the bank window and points the concealed weapon at the person behind the window, where the viewer also is. This symbolizes the dramatic shift of character and a dilemma now arises. The boys have now gone from victims of circumstances and defenders of the innocent to perpetrators. While we stare into the gun, we contemplate whether or not we can trust the protagonists anymore. What is driving them to commit these crimes?

The Return of the Flower (2:11-2:24)

The unusual, ritualistic portrayals return at 2:11 to get us thinking again. The members are worshiping a beaker of the concoction they stirred up, basking in the vapors and passing a bowl of the blue liquid around. Shownu even tosses his head back, the vapors surrounding him. The members experience a high, a mixture of intensified feelings of bliss and delirium. They undergo a flower-induced intoxication, causing them to behave deliriously. This gives them an escape from the hardships of reality and an outlet to express themselves freely, away from the pressures and oppression of society.

Upon doing research, I uncovered several possibilities for the flower species. Of them, sage, also known as salvia, closely resembles it. Some species of salvia are used as herbal medicine and others are used in rituals. When prepared the right way, the salvia acts as a drug. The user experiences various effects, especially hallucinations, that are believed by some cultures to be a spiritual experience. Some cultures use these natural drugs to have a religious experience, which could be the case in this music video as well. Other possibilities I explored were viola coreana and delphinium, both of which can be herbs.

The Arson (2:25-2:29)

We go back now to Minhyuk and the gang, who have now set a building on fire. An “X” is written across the window, marking the deed was Monsta X’s work. Two white flags hang above the doorway. Does a white flag ring a bell? We saw a white flag with an “X” on it at the beginning of the music video, didn’t we?

White flags represent different ideas based on the context, but it is most widely-regarded as a sign of a true or surrender, purity, or in Buddhist and Confucian countries, mourning or death. Minhyuk leads the group to commit arson after discovering Hyungwon was being abused by his father. If that’s the case, then this building belongs to Hyungwon’s father.

Hyungwon’s father is one of the officials orchestrating the oppression in the village and by burning his building (which likely contains something important), the members reach a temporary “truce” with him. Not only have they retaliated against their friend’s abuser, but instigated a rebellion against despotism. The arson is only the beginning and will be catalyst to an explosive reaction to follow.

Shownu’s Fire (2:30-2:37)

At 2:30, we leave the arson scene and return to Shownu’s grandfather’s room. The bed is empty, except for a small stack of folded clothes. He places a blue flower on top of the clothes and dumps the contents of his black bag on the bed. In the background, an oxygen tank is sitting on the table, confirming that his sick grandfather had been hooked onto something to help him breathe. He burns the stash of money because now that his grandfather is dead, the money he’d stolen to pay for his grandfather’s treatment was useless.

Parallelism (2:38-3:04)

The two major storylines (Hyungwon and Shownu’s), though having differing circumstances, align. Both stories involve a life-altering problem. Hyungwon’s being abused by his father, and Shownu’s guardian is dying. Both of these stories need a solution. In Hyungwon’s case, Minhyuk takes matter into his own hands and sets Hyungwon’s father’s building ablaze, with Wonho and I.M’s help. The three survey the scene, watching as the flames consume the edifice.

In terms of Shownu, Jooheon and Shownu team up to rob a store to get funds for their grandfather’s treatment, only for the grandfather to pass away before those funds could be used. As a result, Shownu has no need for the money, and burns it all. Both stories have fire, which symbolizes both destruction and rebirth. They have destroyed a part of the problem, giving them a temporary solution, but where will they go from here, especially Shownu? The physical, emotional, and psychological damage done to Hyungwon and to Shownu by their situations aren’t resolved yet. We still need a resolution.

There is also a recurring symbol in the series: the “X.” After the trio of Minhyuk, Wonho, and I.M torch the building, the shot of the flames behind the “X” painted on the window appears twice, except the second time it’s shown, it’s closer. If you rotate the “X,” you’ll get a “+,” which is what we see on the book that Hyungwon’s dad was carrying in the beginning. Pluses represent medicine or health. If Hyungwon’s dad a doctor? If so, isn’t he going against his practice by harming his own son?

But think about it this way. Hyungwon and Shownu’s stories are connected. If Hyungwon’s father is a doctor, maybe he was in charge of saving Shownu’s grandfather’s life. However, because Shownu could not afford it, Hyungwon’s father refused to give him the proper treatment. Existing strains between Hyungwon and his father intensify because Shownu is one of Hyungwon’s closest friends, but he’s powerless to help him out. Furthermore, Hyungwon is viewed as a delinquent by his father and has been a victim of abuse. As a result of these strained relationships, tension continues to build up into a breaking point.

Shownu runs out of time to get money and so he steals the money with Jooheon for the treatment. However, even now that he has the money, the building is already burnt to the ground, so his grandfather can’t receive the treatment. He passes away, and now Shownu realizes he’s robbed innocent people of their money for nothing. Overwhelmed with guilt and sadness, he brings out the elixir the boys concocted.

Here’s the big question: where’s Kihyun? What role does he play in this story? Kihyun has been omitted from the heavy plot surrounding Hyungwon and Shownu, but he plays an important role. At the climax of the music video (2:51), we see Kihyun staggering in the what appears to be snow. He’s limping and he’s flinging something off of his arms. (*Update: It seems to be crutches, rather than ropes.) Where is he and what happened to him? Kihyun’s role and individual storyline may be the key to piecing everything together and will likely be shown in Part 2 of the series.

At 3:02, we catch a glimpse of something horrible. Someone’s lying inside of a bathtub filled with water. Hyungwon is submerged in the water and Minhyuk is standing there beside him. Having been unable to handle the guilt of not being able to help Shownu, and the combined damage done by his father, Hyungwon has taken his own life. Minhyuk’s attempt to take revenge on his abusive father was for naught.

The Intro Again? (3:05-3:17)

Just as the story reaches the climax, the beginning sequence is inserted again. The boys are running away from an unseen force, dressed in white and wielding rifles. Are they really running from someone, or are they actually running from… something? Maybe they’re overwhelmed with the ugliness of society and with no way to free themselves from the endless cycle of suffering and desolation, they run from reality and from themselves.

That’s why they turn to hallucinogens and intoxication to temporarily subdue their pain. The blue flower is a symbol of life and death for them, and the blue serum revives them or gives them a new life away from reality. At 3:14, the boys become tired of running and slow down. Even though they’re on the verge of giving up, but Jooheon encourages them all to continue pushing forward.

The End (3:18-4:03)

We return to Hyungwon’s storyline. Minhyuk pours the blue concoction into the bathtub. He then gets into the tub with Hyungwon and holds his hand. Hyungwon’s hand moves, signalling he has either come back to life or accepted death with Minhyuk.

We then see Shownu drink the same liquid, so what does that mean? He’s reached his breaking point and with nothing else to turn to, he resorts to the elixir. At 3:29, there’s an important shot of a frantic Kihyun running through the forest. He’s broken out of the endless cycle of suffering and now that he’s freed himself, he’s rushing to save the others from giving up.

From 3:35, there is another shot of the blue flowers, and faded, dizzying shots of the members with paint on their faces. The flower symbolizes life, death, and escape from reality all at once. By using the flower, they are searching for a solution to their ailments. The members,dressed in white, armed, and have sustained injuries. Relief and awe washes over them as they emerge into a clearing and face a throbbing, glowing blue object in the sky. They have reached their solution… or maybe a new start. By following their heart (the blue, throbbing object), they will find the peace and life they seek.

I jumped around a lot so it’s probably very confusing. However, I’m curious to know your thoughts about this! Do we have similar theories? Do you have a different theory? Let me know what you think!