Following their previous single “PIRI” off of their fourth EP The End of Nightmare, Dreamcatcher welcomed the fall with a collaboration between mobile RPG game ‘King’s Raid.’ Their MV for “Déjà vu” was simultaneously released back on September, alongside Vespa’s own MV consisting of their song as a backdrop. Vespa’s CSO Lee Won Seok has reached out to Dreamcatcher as a fitting artist based on their distinct color, along with the lyrics that portray the game’s fantastical theme and code. This collab has turned out to be quite a successful and also creative venture for the girl group, whilst they continue to maintain their “girl metal” genre and dark, mystical concept.
As a means to portray the game’s main characters — the knight Kasel and priest Frey — fellow member Yoohyeon and leader JiU act as the “evil” versus “good” roles. The plot of the MV is centered on their conflict, as JiU seeks to secure the throne and Yoohyeon seeks to overthrow everybody to claim it herself. Viewers may initially be confused as they see both members holding swords towards each other in different attire, though this is where colors are crucial. The first scene reveals JiU holding a sword towards a fallen Yoohyeon. The former wears a black dress, with the latter wearing a white dress — ultimately showing Yoohyeon’s perspective. She believes that in the midst of their friendship, JiU has betrayed her for the throne.
However, later scenes reveal it is Yoohyeon who has been consumed by evil, via the black smog surrounding her. One by one the girls fall, as does the two members’ previous friendship. Various still shots foreshadow JiU’s eventual death, as well as her funeral as she is buried in blue roses. The story ends with her death through Yoohyeon taking the chance to literally “back-stab” JiU, when the latter chooses to let go of her sword. Yoohyeon gets to claim the throne, though it is questionable over who or what, considering her trail of death left behind to get there.
Clearly this is Dreamcatcher’s own version of portraying the various conflicts in the RPG game’s plot. Vespa’s own MV with the song portray a storyline where Kasel turns possessed by evil through his sword, that in which is also filled with darkness. Though Frey initially set out to rescue him, she too has become evil alongside him. Nonetheless, the themes of betrayal, corruption, and war remain present, along with Dreamcatcher’s stable dark, dream-like concept.
Symbolism is heavy in this MV, particularly through the use of colors. For instance, blue roses symbolize death or impossibility, as it is realistically impossible to create blue roses. In this context, blue roses can stand for a lack of justice, death of loyalty, etc. And as aforementioned, the color of clothing has had a crucial role in portraying who is “evil” versus “good.” Lastly, the lighting is darker upon Yoohyeon’s claim of the throne, altogether symbolizing the presence of darkness in the once harmonious realm.
Beyond plot and symbolism, however, what else is eye-catching is the MV aesthetics. True to form, Dreamcatcher has returned with another dreamy, mystic, and quite beautiful music video that truly brings a fantastical game to life. Every scene stands its ground as telling a story held in a royal, slightly medieval context — from attire to background, swords to the throne. Particularly through the sight of the two moons, viewers can clearly see the synergy of Dreamcatcher and ‘King’s Raid.’
Probably the only part of the MV to nitpick is the majority versus minority screen time for all seven members. While the main story was centered on JiU and Yoohyeon’s roles, fans would understandably desire to see a little more of the other members. This would further go for line distribution throughout the track. Otherwise, however, the MV proved to be a gem of a collaboration between two industries that may continue to see the benefits of surprising multi-platform fans. Beyond the purpose of mere advertisement, merging two separate forms of media and creativity can someday yield more surprising results. For both our readers and fans of ‘King’s Raid,’ what did you think of Dreamcatcher’s collaborative MV?
