DARK BLOOD and ENHYPEN’s Humbling Journey
In the context of ENHYPEN’s ongoing narrative, their newest era sends a substantive, profound message about immortality’s unearned ego boost.
Through Webtoon episodes, music videos, short films, song lyrics, and even album teaser images, ENHYPEN weave a multimedia tale that astounds in unexpected ways. They are not telling a generic story that intrigues for its vampire theme and “save the princess” narrative. The story runs much deeper than that, encompassing the following realizations and then some: they have more in common with their enemies than they think, true power does not come through material indulgences, and eternal life is no life at all if it lacks the inclusion of others.
Webtoon Story Refresher
DARK MOON : THE BLOOD ALTAR is covered in much more depth in this podcast episode, but here is a summary of the most important aspects to know for ENHYPEN’s newest era: When faced with the options of taking absolute power for herself or sharing it and preserving it for the future, a princess chooses the latter. She preserves magic powers inside seven knights. The powers start becoming unsealed after the princess is reincarnated as Sooha. Sooha becomes a peer of a group of vampires (ENHYPEN’s characters, both in the Webtoon and their music videos) who are masquerading as humans, and they feel inexplicably drawn to her. They later learn they are the reincarnated knights who now share her magic. The more the seals become undone, the easier it becomes for Dardan, a power-hungry evildoer, to find Sooha and these vampires-in-hiding. The Queen’s dying wish was for the princess to keep power away from Dardan, so the vampires and Sooha have a shared goal and intertwined fates.
Power and Corruption
Episode 41 of DARK MOON contains a crucial scene for understanding Dardan’s motivations: Frantically pouring over school library books, he seeks the recipe for absolute power. He has tried everything to woo Sooha and is exasperated:
“I climbed my way up to become chancellor of this country, despite being born into a ruined family! And yet I still can’t have you!”
He complains that the “forbidden books” are only given that label to hoard power away from people of his social status.
In Episode 50, after Dardan has caught and caged the vampires’ former orphanage owner, she yells at him:
“Do you really think it’s about ancestry? It’s about preparedness. The royal family didn’t inherit the powers because of their royal blood… The powers succeeded by the royal family are only an outcome of their decency! It’s something you can never get by hurting others, or taking advantage of those working for you.”
Dardan equates power with worthiness; he assumes if one is drained of power, one becomes “nothing.” He expresses this back in Episode 37, as he talks to an unconscious, captive Sooha:
“Back then, you had power, and I had love. In this life, I hope I have power and you have love.”
He views power and love as mutually exclusive, so by pursuing absolute power, he thinks he will no longer be wracked by a need for love. He admits to Sooha in Episode 42:
“All I wanted was your love… but you wouldn’t even look at me.”
Therefore, he doubles down on his quest for power, which he views as love’s opposite.
Dardan fails to grasp that karma is not kind to those whose pursuit of their desires come at the expense of those of others. This is why ENHYPEN’s characters have the odds in their favor. They recognize that what they pursue will affect other people, so they pursue what will do the most good. They seek power not for power’s sake or for wooing someone, but for protecting an entire population, keeping it out of Dardan’s dangerous clutches. A bright future awaits them if they live a life of service to both Sooha and society overall. The DARK BLOOD introductory track, “Fate,” includes this observation:
“Absolute power / I ran toward that power… Above all, to protect you… But… Love became greed and erased itself… trapped me in ruins like the deep sea / Oblivion… I realized… Everything was the power I received from you / I grew up in an eternity that will soon return to you.”
ENHYPEN remember their vow of loyalty and commit to using powers for the right reasons. Dardan is not on the hunt for power to do anything but satisfy himself.
On the other hand, ENHYPEN have repeatedly had lapses in selflessness and moral clarity too…
Power with a Greater Purpose
ENHYPEN’s “BORDER” series of albums is about running up against thought confines and taking stock of the limitations placed on oneself. From “Choose-Chosen”:
“Why do we desire what we cannot acquire? Why must we walk along an endless line?”
Later in the “BORDER” series, they ignore those restrictions and lean into a sense of entitlement. In “Intro : The Invitation,” a voice entices them:
“Come inside the castle. Take everything.”
The “DIMENSION” series furthers this theme of tantalizing vices. From “Intro : Whiteout”:
“You can take anything you want, but nothing is free.”
In the “MANIFESTO” series, their newfound confidence inspires them to draw their own new “borders” on who they are and what they can do; they start drafting their own futures. But they forget their fates are tied up with those of others. From “Intro : Whiteout” (which is from the “DIMENSION” series but remains relevant):
“I thought I [would] understand if I ran, but in the end, I didn’t learn a thing.”
ENHYPEN’s selfish manifestos reveal enormous costs, and this “BLOOD” era shows the “Bills” have come due. It is time to incorporate others in their life’s mission, so that, cosmically, neither them nor those they interact with have to pay an unfair share. They say in the song “Bills”:
“The time piles on top of the love that needs to be repaid.”
Eternal Damnation
In “Sacrifice (Eat Me Up),” ENHYPEN reference drinking from the river of Lethe. This refers to one of the rivers that surrounds Hades’ Underworld in Greek mythology. Drinking from that river leads to souls forgetting their past lives. The banks of a nearby river, Cocytus, are where souls wander for eternity if they cannot pay the ferryman’s fee, one of the many “Bills” that ENHYPEN sing about not affording. A DARK BLOOD teaser poster reads:
“I became a cursed being who couldn’t even die, but merely wander. You erased me. I struggled in the deep, terrifying darkness that was worse than hell.”
ENHYPEN and Dardan fear the same fate: eternal loneliness and emptiness. Dardan fears not having a life partner and a sense of purpose through absolute power, while ENHYPEN fear losing the companionship and tainting the legacy of the princess. ENHYPEN also struggle with their lack of a backstory, living forever without being allowed to keep any memories. Both ENHYPEN and Dardan ought to recognize these deep-rooted emotional needs, because supplanting them with material riches does not guarantee a better afterlife. The “Intro : Invitation” monologue attests to the equalizing nature of time’s passage:
“Whether the harvest feast of light or a festival of blood, time harmonizes laughs and screams.”
Dancing with Death
In the song “Chaconne,” ENHYPEN say:
“Brighter than the sun / That’s just me / Dancing the Dance of Death / Drunk with arrogance.”
The “Dance of Death” refers to a source of artistic and literary inspiration that is also called the “Danse Macabre.” One of the most well-known depictions of the premise is from the 1500s. Hans Holbein’s Dance of Death woodblock images show Death disrupting the lives of dozens of humans. Death taunts them all, but he seems to treat those of a higher social status with the most mockery and vindictiveness. The greater the privileged position in life, the more disruptive it feels when Death takes one’s ego down a few pegs! This is why ENHYPEN sing about falling into a pit of despair; after attaining riches, it is very jolting when they are reminded that those material things have offered them no extra protection from Death.
Thinking one can outsmart time and/or death is foolish. Death does not pick and choose who to capture based on wealth or status! Death comes for all, and time stops for no one. This message rings loud and clear with this message from a DARK BLOOD teaser poster:
“Intoxicated by my own might, I’ve strayed from your light. This mystical strength, destined to last beyond time’s seam. Oblivious to the illusion’s hold, I danced on.”
“Chaconne” and the Nature of Legacies
Professor Bernard Chazelle has a spot-on assessment of what makes Bach’s work so profound:
“As opposed to other composers, Bach targets the very young, the child, and people of a certain age, like me. And tries to leave out the middle… there are all kinds of… dispositions from the opera that he totally shunned. Envy. Greed. Lust. Jealousy. I mean, this is the bread and butter of the opera… His music tries to express things [like] awe. Grace. Thanks. Fear. Trepidation. Hope. All kinds of sentiments a child can have, and an older person can have, but none of this sexual nonsense in the middle.”
Bach’s ability to provoke the emotions most associated with children and older people is arguably best exhibited through “Chaconne.” The fifteen-minute masterpiece is suspected to have been made in response to Bach’s first wife’s death; it is infused with raw grief and pain. In addition to its potent sorrow, “Chaconne” amazes people for its composition: it is very repetitive but filled with subtle changes. The mix of variety and consistency in its sound makes crafting such a song look easy when it is far from it.
Chazelle’s remarks perfectly summarize what makes ENHYPEN’s musical storytelling so excellent and makes their new song “Chaconne” a thematically natural fit. ENHYPEN’s “Chaconne” appears to be just a catchy song about wanting to engage in an endless dance with a lover. But this wish is just the tip of the iceberg: “Chaconne” is a eulogy for the lives ENHYPEN have hoped to live and a coming-to-terms with the eternal tragedy they see fate as having in store for them. It distills heavy themes, like fearing one’s soul is destined for damnation, into a seemingly basic pop structure. One of the group’s keys to pulling off this feat is the ways they thematically tap into similar territory to Bach: the unprocessed, lingering feelings of the youth and the old. Vampires are the perfect characters to use to explore these extremes. After all, these vampires are literally centuries old, but memory erasure means they experience things like a child, as if it is the very first time, again and again.
While trying to piece together memories of past lives and planning for future ones, ENHYPEN grapple with how much of their fates are predetermined and how much is up to them. This strange paradox is laid out in text on the screen at the end of the “Bite Me” music video:
“I am willing to give up my trifling power and eternity to you as long as I can protect you. I will gladly accept the destiny I chose.”
Simultaneously, ENHYPEN commit to fulfilling a prophecy and choosing one of their own making. They “accept the destiny,” but one that they choose. How can they hold onto both a commitment to the universe’s plans and autonomy? By figuring out their true purpose. The universe promises them they have a meaning to their lives, but it is up to them to trust that and find out what exactly it is. They realize that their lives have a literal purpose: they have been created to protect the princess and her powers. They also see their lives as having a more personal purpose: to experience life with others. To not wall themselves off. To dare to be vulnerable and foster a trusting relationship with Sooha. The meaning of their eternal lives is to let others in.
Conclusion
DARK BLOOD’s songs and videos are not vampire-themed for the sake of a trendy gimmick. This new era is not a superficial, sexy story. Vampires are merely the tool ENHYPEN use to demonstrate the high costs of immortality. If one feels like one’s time left on Earth is infinite, why wouldn’t one feel like everything is theirs for the taking?! Why wouldn’t one feel no obligation to build up good karma?! Why wouldn’t one disregard humans and see them as inferior?!
With immortality comes the realization that one is isolated from society in ways that reveal themselves to be curses more often than blessings. ENHYPEN learn to keep their egos in check, because true power comes from fighting for a legacy bigger than personal ambitions.
For more thoughts and theories regarding ENHYPEN’s story, check out these episodes of 17 Carat K-Pop!
“ENHYPEN’s Epic Tales”
Stream this episode on Spotify here!
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“ENHYPEN ‘MANIFESTO’ Tour Review”
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Stream this episode on Anchor or another streaming service here!
“MANIFESTO : DAY 1 Deep Dive”
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Stream this episode on Anchor or another streaming service here!
“ENHYPEN’s Dual Worlds”
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Stream this episode on Anchor or another streaming service here!