ILLIT 'My World' Trailer: The Cube and Sailor Moon?
As a fan of ENHYPEN, I have been anticipating their upcoming juniors and so far, they have not disappointed me yet. One official logo film, one brand film, and SUPER REAL ME album preview, and I'm down.
ILLIT is the new girl group of HYBE Labels under Belift Lab, the home of ENHYPEN, which was formed through the survival-reality show, R U Next in 2023. The group consists of five members (3 South Koreans, 2 Japanese): Eldest YUNAH, MINJU, MOKA, WONHEE, and youngest IROHA. They will debut on March 25, 2024, with their 1st EP, Super Real Me.
Before we go through all the teasers, let me share my thoughts during R U Next. These were my tweets back then and I think it would be fun to share some of my hopes and wishes for the then-Belift GG:
- "playful fun!" like SNSD's Oh! or Red Velvet's Dumb Dumb
- maybe a little hint of horror-thriller like ENHYPEN's vampire concept
- SAILOR MOON! like feel special and IVE is giving that feel
- what if witches?
And here comes February 25, 2024.
I'LL-IT to ILLIT
Belift Lab released the logo film of I'LL-IT, now officially known as ILLIT, through HYBE's YouTube channel. The change in design and how the group name is stylized is apparently due to "I'LL-IT" being disapproved during trademark registration. Some speculate it is also the reason why the debut took so long.
I believe the change is just perfect, especially after YOUNGSEO's departure, the 6th and former member of the group. "ILLIT" is easier to digest as well, and they could still retain the "I will be it" meaning regardless of how it is stylized.
Another thing that makes it much better than the first one is how they incorporate it with the cube.
Cube and the Cult-Classic Movie "Cube"
In the Logo Film, they showed a big cube. A cube is a 3-dimensional solid object with 6 sides, and its net (when the edges are separated and flattened, showing its 2-dimensional form) resembles a cross. The cross is similar to the plus sign (+) in the logo or the "T" of ILLIT. (It is also probably why they initially had 6 members, as 1 side represents 1 member.)
It is also a closed object and is the subject of many horror-thriller films, including the cult-classic Cube in 1997. If you haven't watched the movie, the set is the characters are trapped in a cube with 6 doors that you never know where will lead them, to another cube room or their death.
THEORY! With this, the happy, playful theme of ILLIT could be a facade and they could also add something sinister to their music videos. (And TBH, as an ENGENE, I would love to see some supernatural horror in their lore.)
This is my world, (this is really) Real Me~
A week after the release of the Logo Film, ILLIT released its Brand Film, which serves as an introduction to the girls and their seemingly dual concept.
I like the overall use of white color in the video. It feels like they are portraying ILLIT like a "blank canvas", fitting for a rookie who has yet to gain experiences to color their world. The girls are playful and appear to have superpowers that the students don't notice until they reach the point of shock.
Shockingly enough, despite the bright concept, there is something eerie in the film where we can apply the concept of Cube. In the end, their "real" selves are looking at the mini, students-with-superpowers selves in a box, similar to how we play dollhouses. Then, they slowly walk to the big "ILLIT" while the song plays with the lyrics "This is My World, 이게 진짜 (This is really) real me".
Quite interesting. Are we going to get a horror-thriller girl group adjacent to ENHYPEN? We'll see.
SUPER REAL ME Preview: Magical Girl Concept and Sailor Moon Adjacent?
(UPDATE) They have just released the album preview of their 1st EP, SUPER REAL ME, and the magical girl aesthetics have definitely increased the chance of me getting my Sailor Moon Guardians type of girl group!
I've been a fan of ENHYPEN way before their debut, and in 2021, they released an Audition notice for their future girl group. The poster is very cute and playful, and now it makes sense that ILLIT will debut with the same vibe.
Like what I expected, the R U Next special performances of IVE's Eleven and TWICE's Feel Special, as well as the original songs Scrum and Aim High! were teasers for the concept the girls are going for. There is this Magical Girl type of air in the whole preview, which I will be expecting to see in their lore.
My current favorite is Magnetic!
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