Drama > Dance.
Okay, I'll admit that I wasn't too keen on watching this, which is why I actually forgot about it entirely until it came up on my tumblr this morning because of the Growl teasers. Wolf is an okay song and the dance version of the MV has some cool choreography, but it really wasn't anything worth the hype it won.
The drama version is actually quite fabulous, first and foremost because Heart Attack and Don't Go are both much better songs than Wolf. Of course, any drama version is better than a dance version, by default. The drama version really should have been released first, two weeks or so before the comeback as a full album preview (with part two being released one full week before the comeback to make the anguish of not knowing hit a peak, but not be absurd), and the dance version should have been used to maintain the thrill, previewing the choreography on like the Monday before the Music Show performances. SM should have known that. Besides, SM dropped the drama version out of nowhere, there was next to no warning for it and poof there it is, all the hype that came was post-release which is honestly tragic, because videos are supposed to promote appeal not garner attention because of other promotions.
Anyway, this MV should be like three minutes longer than it is, the plot progression needed to slow down and the characters develop a bit more, give the fluff scenes a fuller feel. Right now they feel rushed and like they're just there to establish a love line. If there were a few more scenes in school, a little more initial distrust, some shots around the town, out shopping, showing them having more and more fun, and then a private smile or two, walk her to the bus and then pause have both reflect on each other . . . give the story just a bit more STORY . . . it could actually be really good. And the first scene, there should be more to that as well, background on why he's getting this assignment, why that girl is key for some reason, the magic blue-glowiness . . . it that a pack thing? IS there even a pack? or what? if there was just a little bit more . . . it would be epic. Also, Wolf actually works really well with the fight scene. On its own, it's not a good song, but it makes for great dramatic BGM. They didn't use it well, the songs pauses were not exploited and the dramatic swirls of melody were entirely ignored, which is practically criminal, but still, it's a better use of the song than in the previous music video.
The drama version has SO much potential to be incredible. But they really didn't do it right, especially towards the end: The trigger that makes her get off the bus confuses me, I mean there is a sightline shot of her seeing the bad guys, but she waits so long after seeing them, there's no way she couldn't have caught up to them before they made it to the warehouse. They should have shown her antsy as she was, but watching them walk away from her, THEN have her get up and off the bus to run after them, but only once they've disappeared from sight. And why everyone abandons him bothers me, there's not a long enough pause between "yay I beat the baddies" and "opps I accidentally hurt a good guy". And how on earth did she not get involved with the fighting? Come on, a terrified girl standing at the door, making everyone pause as the bridge comes up? That would have been perfect, and it would have made the perfect catalyst for his little psychotic-super-fighter-kill-everyone-fit in a way that makes more sense than "oh know my friends". If he was protecting her, than anyone near her would have been a threat, including his friends. Since he wasn't protecting her, and was protecting his friends, seeing them as enemies makes next to no sense, even in the haziness of battle. And that they just left... instead of turning on him, roughing him up at least a little . . . but no, a disgusted look and a bump of a shoulder is all they throw at him. Not even a single punch of hurt or outrage? I don't buy it for a second. Sure one wants too, grabs his jacket and all, and the others hold him back, but someone should have been able to get at least one good swing in. And that she has to approach him, instead of say confront him from being pinned underneath him as he 'protects' her . . . and we don't even see her see him go all bad-ass, whats to say she really did see him, where's the drama in having her just go up to him and talk? We should have had a shot of her watching, horrified from the sidelines at the very least! And also that she has no back up is ridiculous, not one of the other guys stayed behind? Come on, they HAD to have seen her go inside, and not one thought, "this could be a bad thing, maybe I should stick around", seriously? I just really don't buy it.
And where is part two? With teasers for Growl floating around . . . is it going to be Growl's MV? From the teasers, it looks like the same set up as Wolf: mediocre dance MV first, then a drama version. If that's the case, SM has truly fallen, but still I'm hopeful.
On it's own this MV is incomplete and therefore cannot earn anything over a 9, and as I have so much I would like to change about what the MV does have . . . as much as I think it's a great video and I do truly like it, it is not, technically speaking, very good.
The drama version is actually quite fabulous, first and foremost because Heart Attack and Don't Go are both much better songs than Wolf. Of course, any drama version is better than a dance version, by default. The drama version really should have been released first, two weeks or so before the comeback as a full album preview (with part two being released one full week before the comeback to make the anguish of not knowing hit a peak, but not be absurd), and the dance version should have been used to maintain the thrill, previewing the choreography on like the Monday before the Music Show performances. SM should have known that. Besides, SM dropped the drama version out of nowhere, there was next to no warning for it and poof there it is, all the hype that came was post-release which is honestly tragic, because videos are supposed to promote appeal not garner attention because of other promotions.
Anyway, this MV should be like three minutes longer than it is, the plot progression needed to slow down and the characters develop a bit more, give the fluff scenes a fuller feel. Right now they feel rushed and like they're just there to establish a love line. If there were a few more scenes in school, a little more initial distrust, some shots around the town, out shopping, showing them having more and more fun, and then a private smile or two, walk her to the bus and then pause have both reflect on each other . . . give the story just a bit more STORY . . . it could actually be really good. And the first scene, there should be more to that as well, background on why he's getting this assignment, why that girl is key for some reason, the magic blue-glowiness . . . it that a pack thing? IS there even a pack? or what? if there was just a little bit more . . . it would be epic. Also, Wolf actually works really well with the fight scene. On its own, it's not a good song, but it makes for great dramatic BGM. They didn't use it well, the songs pauses were not exploited and the dramatic swirls of melody were entirely ignored, which is practically criminal, but still, it's a better use of the song than in the previous music video.
The drama version has SO much potential to be incredible. But they really didn't do it right, especially towards the end: The trigger that makes her get off the bus confuses me, I mean there is a sightline shot of her seeing the bad guys, but she waits so long after seeing them, there's no way she couldn't have caught up to them before they made it to the warehouse. They should have shown her antsy as she was, but watching them walk away from her, THEN have her get up and off the bus to run after them, but only once they've disappeared from sight. And why everyone abandons him bothers me, there's not a long enough pause between "yay I beat the baddies" and "opps I accidentally hurt a good guy". And how on earth did she not get involved with the fighting? Come on, a terrified girl standing at the door, making everyone pause as the bridge comes up? That would have been perfect, and it would have made the perfect catalyst for his little psychotic-super-fighter-kill-everyone-fit in a way that makes more sense than "oh know my friends". If he was protecting her, than anyone near her would have been a threat, including his friends. Since he wasn't protecting her, and was protecting his friends, seeing them as enemies makes next to no sense, even in the haziness of battle. And that they just left... instead of turning on him, roughing him up at least a little . . . but no, a disgusted look and a bump of a shoulder is all they throw at him. Not even a single punch of hurt or outrage? I don't buy it for a second. Sure one wants too, grabs his jacket and all, and the others hold him back, but someone should have been able to get at least one good swing in. And that she has to approach him, instead of say confront him from being pinned underneath him as he 'protects' her . . . and we don't even see her see him go all bad-ass, whats to say she really did see him, where's the drama in having her just go up to him and talk? We should have had a shot of her watching, horrified from the sidelines at the very least! And also that she has no back up is ridiculous, not one of the other guys stayed behind? Come on, they HAD to have seen her go inside, and not one thought, "this could be a bad thing, maybe I should stick around", seriously? I just really don't buy it.
And where is part two? With teasers for Growl floating around . . . is it going to be Growl's MV? From the teasers, it looks like the same set up as Wolf: mediocre dance MV first, then a drama version. If that's the case, SM has truly fallen, but still I'm hopeful.
On it's own this MV is incomplete and therefore cannot earn anything over a 9, and as I have so much I would like to change about what the MV does have . . . as much as I think it's a great video and I do truly like it, it is not, technically speaking, very good.
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