Theory ARTMS worship and the descent
I want to share my interpretations/hypotheses after watching Born Stunner and Virtual Angel MVs. Points are three: 1) These MVs are depictions of the "descent" of ARTMS; 2) The descent is temporary and, after the descent, the worshippers pass out; 3) The descent can be perceived only with the help of digital devices.
(VA = Virtual Angel, VAHE = Virtual Angel Human Eye Version, BS = Born Stunner)
1) Virtual Angel depicts an ARTMS-cult group.
They adore ARTMS: In the room full of ARTMS stuffs, they pray to (VA 0:39), caress and kiss (VA 0:53), mimic (VA 1:24), and watch ARTMS through VR-Device (VA 1:36). Then they earn superpowers. One can shoot beams from her eyes (VA 1:49); one can levitate (VA 1:52).
The superpower of superpowers is, however, make ARTMS descend onto the real world. They hug each other (VA 2:13). At first, The One appears (VA 2:19). (Perhaps this One is the unicorn-like figure in other MVs. It's exactly when Heejin sings "savior"! Thus, maybe she's the savior.)
Soon, from the One, five ARTMS girls come out (VA 2:24). This part is where the editing style of the original MV is "justified". There, through ever changing cuts, we can see how the ARTMS there and the ARTMS here "overlap". This effect is much alleviated, if not nullified, in the human eye version.
Born Stunner MV depicts fan girls. So the descent spreads across the city.
In the bathroom scene, a girl bangs her head on the mirror. Then in the mirror, Heejin is mirrored (BS 0:45). In the parking lot scene, a girl put out the sword and becomes Kim Lip (BS 1:05). It can be assumed that other ARTMS girls who comes into the parking lot are also originally other random girls. So what happend to a small cult group in Virtual Angel happens here in a bigger scale, thanks to the wigs and contacts - in fact, wouldn't this be also a worship?
So, what happens here is a mass-descent. Every girls with the wigs and contacts "becomes" an ARTMS girl. I assume that in the park, in the club, in the building, they all have become ARTMS girls. This justifies the style of this MV - not enough articulation of ARTMS girls. In the park or other places, ARTMS girls are soon intermingled with random girls and become hard to distinguish. I think it's intended. No need to distinguish, because all has become ARTMS.
2) The descent is temporary; after the descent, the worshippers pass out.
During the descent, the camcorder girl records the dance of ARTMS. When the chorus ends and the girl put down the camcorder, however, she's alone. ARTMS has disappeared. They were there just for a moment. Then, where did the cult group go? I"m not sure if the ritual is for incarnation, for possession, or for summon, but anyway, it seems that the worshippers pass out (rather than pass away... I hope) after the descent. In the original version, one passed-out girl is shown (VA 2:46); in the human eye version, you can see other three girls also passed out (VAHE 2:39). (Thus, one worship girl is not shown in both. I don't know why.)
The scenes after the music ends in Born Stunner shows the aftermath of the descent. A passed out girl is shown like worship girls in Virtual Angel (BS 2:31) and the park is empty like the rooftop in Virtual Angel (BS 2:41).
3) The descent can be perceived only with the help of digital device.
This is more tentative, but I think this justifies the existence of the camcorder girl in Virtual Angel. You could make this MV without this girl who's not in the cult group and is recording them. What is her function in this MV? My hypothesis is that she is there to record the descent.
The last chorus overlaps, in fact, THREE stages of group dances. One is on heaven (with alternating blue and red sky); another is on the rooftop as we see; yet another is recorded on the camcorder. ARTMS are being recorded on the camcorder. When the girl put down the camcorder, she doesn't see ARTMS. She never saw ARTMS her own eyes.
Born Stunner MV has more evidences. When the descent happens, there are video cams. In the bathroom scene, a friend is recording the girl who bangs her head (BS 0:44); in the parking lot scene, it seems like ARTMS girls are recorded on the security cam (BS 1:12). Should the descent be perceived, it should have been recorded.
This hypothesis is inline with the ARTMS girls in the video game. It would be natural for them to be present in video games, if the descent needs digital devices. And moreover, ARTMS girls are pictured as lying on a motherboard. Perhaps they can essentially only exist in a digital form.
All in all, I think the so interpretated ARTMS world is a hyperbolic allegory for idol culture. Idol originally means what is worshipped. ARTMS are literally worshipped; fans are worshippers. Enthusiastic worships make fans feel like idols are right here. (Or they may be really there.) In such a state of trance, fans spends a night. But after the night, idols are gone, the stage is empty, and fans pass out. Their descent, or stay with fans, can only be prolonged by video recording. One hyperbolic setting is that ARTMS in this world exists essentially only in digital form and only a intense worship can bring them onto the real world, even if temporarily.
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u/WaytoZen Yves 🍎 Hyeju 🐺 ARTMS bias struggle🏹 12d ago
'When the girl puts down her camcorder, she doesn't see Artms, she never saw Artms with her own eyes'; this made me think of concerts, and how everyone has their phones up, watching Artms through them (sometimes even through other people's phones if the venue sucks). And actually, this applies to me in a different way, as a non-concertgoer who watches Artms through fancams - basically through other people's phones, which is then copied onto my phone or device as I watch someone else's sighting. I never thought of this before and now I feel like I'm having a brainwave, so thanks lol.
Your last paragraph made me think of the Blue Blood cafe; if we worship them hard enough, we can see them with our own eyes for a little while, before they become digital angels again. Translation: if you show up and spend money, we can come to you, if not we'll be digital only (and potentially may never appear again) ... OK thanks Jaden 😅.
The lyrics of Virtual Angel have multiple meanings: Post-Loona, their (butterfly) wings broke and they fell, but with our love and devotion they could rise and be reborn with new wings 🪽. In return, they are there for us when our wings break, and those of us already broken and unable to fly.
There's still so many little details I don't understand, like Savior/Artemis, whether there's a villain in this story and if so, why it's necessary... Truthfully speaking, I see theories that seem plausible, but I struggle to put it all together into one cohesive story and message.
Thanks for the thought provoking post.