100% vs Vixx

With the Kpop scene being as active as it is and with the extraordinary amount of music released every week/month/year, there are bound to be coincidental similarities that arise. 100%'s Beat and Vixx's Hyde & Voodoo Doll had such striking similarities I couldn't help but compare the two groups to see who did what better. Read More to see why these three music videos are similar and who, in my opinion, comes out on top...

Regardless of the vast similarities between the three music videos, I think all three of them were brilliantly executed and visually stimulating. I've liked 100% since I saw them on Mnet MCountdown! (that's right!!! they were one of the few groups you saw and liked with out me needing to push them towards you . . . awww) and I've become more and more excited for this group to continue their career.  And if you've read my Previous Blog about Vixx, you already know how I feel about them. I just wanted to say that before I got this blog-ball rolling.

Now let's get to the comparison...

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If you'll remember from Vixx's Hyde Music Video, their Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde theme was pretty impressive. The smiling faces of Dr. Jekyll in white versus the dark and sinister Mr. Hyde in black were illustrated not only by the stark differences in make-up on each of the members of Vixx but also by the color of their outfits and their behavior towards their woman...

100% (Beat) didn't have the same concept of Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde but it did have the good persona versus the bad persona, outfit differences and a woman as well...

Both concepts were well done, however I have to go with Vixx (Hyde) on this one because of the deeper meaning of having two personalities inside one body trying to love a singular woman. 100%'s (Beat) is all about a tragic love between people who just wanted to be with each other regardless of the consequences.

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The black vs. white concept isn't the only thing these two groups have in common, there are even a few dance moves that mirror each other almost to to a Tee...

As much as it pains me to admit, I think 100%'s (Beat) head swing is slightly more impressive than my beloved Vixx's (Voodoo Doll) because they used their whole body rather than just their head...

See what I mean? Sorry Vixx...

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There was another move that looked oddly similar... 

Then there was the intimate neck twist move in both 100%'s Beat and Vixx's Hyde... 100%'s (Beat); while the move was cool in the music video...

...it lacked Vixx's (Hyde) hidden meaning of the personality vs. personality concept in the Hyde music video--one get's repressed while one flourishes. Yeah, I'm not even going to try and pretend like 100% stood a chance here; Leo was standing front and center...plus...you know....the symbolism and all that...

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These same two music video's had a similar chest-grab move....

The symbolism is pretty clear in both scenarios. Love can do some wonderful and terrible things to the heart...to say the least.

I'm going with Vixx on this one and it's because the move just seems to be more fluid, as far as the dancing is concerned. 

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Vixx's (Voodoo Doll) music video also featured one crazy-woman...I swear, this woman should get an award for just successfully playing a psychotic woman...

Let me tell you, if I had six handsome men locked in my house, I would not be torturing them...well...I wouldn't have six handsome men locked in my house at all (no, you'd only have one lol) (Hmm...Leo...) ...but if I did... Each of the Vixx member's seem to accept their fate in loving this woman; Leo = hatred, Ravi = anger, Ken = adoration, Hongbin = desire/need and Hyuk = arrogance and N...well he doesn't have a scene but in the end five out of six of them get free at the end but poor Hongbin remains locked in her vicious care. 

The song actually represents one serious...Second Lead Syndrome. For those of you who are not part of the "Kdrama" crowd, Second Lead Syndrome refers to a an absolutely perfect man who doesn't get the girl in the end--in a nutshell. 100% (Beat) had a completely different type of crazy woman...

This woman was taking bits of his friends and putting them inside him to...make him a better specimen...I think...? The lyrics actually describe two people who "love each other to death" and no matter who gets hurt, they are desperate to be with each other.

The concept is compelling, it's interesting and it's definitely different than Vixx's Voodoo Doll. There wasn't much acting required for this music video--aside from Chanyong (blonde boy). He does convincingly play someone who's tortured by the idea that his friends were sacrificed for the sake of his love for this girl.

I gotta go with 100% on this one...I'll explain why later...

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Correct me if I'm wrong Firnlambe but didn't Vixx's Voodoo Doll get banned in Korea?
It did, so they had to release a "clean" version both for the MV and their live performances
Do we know if 100%'s Beat did as well? Either way, there was a considerable amount of violence in these two music videos.  100%'s (Beat) music video didn't have anything too terribly violent until the end when Chanyong ripped his own heart out.

Hmm...how was that, huh? Vixx's (Voodoo Doll) music video had more of a gruesome concept to it...

Yup...You didn't just finish dinner, right? Good. 

While I could interpret 100% (Beat) as using their graphic use of CGI, for lack of a better term, to show the different parts of being cut out of the other members and transplanted into Chanyong...I'm not entirely sure I could explain away all of Vixx's (Voodoo Doll) to the same effect. Although, I can't deny that it got it's point across--torture is gruesome work. 

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So now I think the only thing left to do is pick which one was better...

100%'s Beat had a new and fresh twist on "unhealthy love"--much like "Now" by Trouble Maker or "Let It Die" by Brian Joo (which also feature's Vixx's Ravi, Leo & N)--and still maintained a "Romeo & Juliet" feel to it. You know, if you take out the final scene where Chanyong pulls out his own heart, it's not too bad in the "gory" category. Although you could understand what was happening in the music video, translated lyrics proved to be very helpful in deciphering the true meaning of the MV. (Look at me, making the song lyrics sound like it's a ancient scroll.) but in a very general sense, it gets it's message across clearly and without much confusion--if any. It truly was a great music video.

Vixx's Hyde was another dark music video but when compared to Vixx's Voodoo Doll & 100%'s Beat, it's very mild. The Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde concept is very original--in terms of Kpop--and was also easily  interpreted without much confusion--if any. The boy's acting really stood out as they each successfully pulled off Good & Evil personas. To be honest, I much prefer this music video to the other two; I felt like the dance moves were much better, the concept was very unique and the cinematography was excellently executed however...I'm forced to take Hyde out of the running completely because although there were similarities (mostly in dancing and appearance), the concept was just too different from their Voodoo Doll music video and 100%'s Beat.  Sorry Vixx...

Vixx's Voodoo Doll, on the other hand, was as intense as it was gruesome. Although you understood that this woman was torturing these boys, the reason why isn't clear just based off the music video. You'd have had to read the lyrics to understand why she was torturing them (unless, of course, if you speak Korean). Their acting was brilliant, the set design really stood out in this music video as opposed to it just being a "background", it felt more like an interactive set than a stationary one. It was great because it pushed the boundaries of what is commonly accepted in Korea. Although I see Korea's conservative nature to be something of a blessing comparatively, they've long since been pushing the "sexual" boundaries in the Kpop industry. It's refreshing to see someone pushing other boundaries. 

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So it with a heavy starlite heart that I say 100%'s Beat took the prize on this one. The song is great, first and foremost. The concept was unique and different, in terms of Kpop and most importantly, like I said before, lyrics weren't needed to understand what was happening throughout the music video even though it was a benefit in helping to understand fully the magnitude of the relationship. Now, being a scary movie fan, gore is not new to me however, I gotta say I appreciated the minimal amount of skin-crawling grotesque visuals in 100%'s Beat versus Voodoo Doll....*mimics confused reader* But didn't you just say that Vixx pushed boundaries...? Absolutely! Go Vixx, push them boundaries however, as far as making the visuals match the concepts/lyrics, Vixx's didn't quite see eye-to-eye. Whereas the blood and gore in 100%'s Beat added emphasis to the story which would all lead to Chanyong not being able to live with the knowledge that he was made out of parts of his dead friends.

So there you have it! 100%'s Beat takes the prize on this one but...Hyde is still my favorite overall. It's got better dance moves. ke ke ke...

Please feel free to leave comments and/or tell which which one was to your personal liking.