Kuwentong Bangtan: Mona Lisa as J-hope's Anima

When J-hope dropped the MV of "Mona Lisa,” I made sure to give it several views. To boost ratings, viewership and charting, of course, but also for a full-on view of the choreography. His performances in Brooklyn and Chicago were sensual and seductive the MV would make for another experience of passion and desire. On the surface, it sounds and looks exactly that - Hobi wildin' in Brooklyn and Chi Town. But knowing Hobi’s creative mind from his body of works, I had a feeling there was more underneath.

The allusion to Mona Lisa, a masterpiece by Da Vinci, is a juicy topic of discussion for an ARMY Theorist like me.  And then Jung, my bias, entered the chat. 

Carl Jung talked about the “anima,” the inner feminine side of a man’s mind. He defined the anima as the personification of all feminine psychological tendencies within a man—the archetype of life itself, symbolizing emotion, intuition, receptivity, and the bridge to the unconscious (Jung, 1953; Jung, 1964). She’s deep, emotional, creative—a guide that helps a person become whole (Jung, 1953). The anima often shows up in dreams, art, and imagination, appearing as a mysterious woman who stirs strong feelings (Jung, 1964). If Hobi's Mona Lisa isn’t just about a girl, maybe she’s a symbol of his anima, a reflection of his inner world.

In a previous post, I have likened the Gemini girl and Hobi's blonde beauty in the MV of Sweet Dreams as a metaphor of his anima. More than a significant other, this lady he met in the middle of the road amidst the chaos and whimsy is his muse and emotional anchor. A reflection of his creative power, passion and desires. This narrative continues in Mona Lisa.

Take these lyrics: “I like my girls pretty, so fine / One plus the nine.” One plus nine equals ten—a number often seen as whole or complete. She’s not just any girl. She’s the perfect image. Beautiful like a painting, maybe even too perfect to be real. This sounds like the anima as an ideal, not a person but a symbol of what is good, true and beautiful, also known as Aesthetics.

When he sings, “Art piece to frame, Mona, Mona Lisa, yeah, I need ya,” he’s saying more than “I like how you look.” She’s framed, admired, untouchable—like something inside him that he’s trying to understand or get closer to. Her independence (“got her own check”) and her calm confidence (“don’t need no validation”) hint that she’s more than a crush—she’s a powerful part of him that seeks agency and autonomy in his authorial choices.

One line really stood out to me: “Love the way you take the stress and Louis off of me.” That’s not just someone helping him chill. It’s someone helping him take off the pressure of image and fame. The anima does that, too. She helps a person feel more real, more honest and authentic (Jung, 1953; Jung, 1959).

I can connect this to Hobi’s older tracks like “Arson,” where he faced darker parts of himself. The shadow, as Jung would call it. “Mona Lisa”, despite the undulating choreography and the delicious body rolls, feels quieter, more thoughtful, really. It's like Hobi has moved from fighting with himself to listening. Less of an arsonist, and more of the introspective artist being one with his future self but staying rooted to his origins.

As for the choreography, it adds another layer to this idea. With its sexy and seductive moves, Hobi embodies the sensual and magnetic force of the anima. Jung noted that the anima often first appears in seductive forms (Jung, 1959), drawing the ego inward through fascination and desire., thus, we are all enthralled. The dance, then, becomes more than performance. It’s an expression of the unconscious, a physical ritual of creative integration. Through movement, Hobi channels this inner force, turning the song into a full-bodied experience of artistic assertion and continuous emotional self-discovery.

So maybe “Mona Lisa” isn’t about someone else. Maybe it’s about an inner muse. Someone who is calm, mysterious, and wise. She’s helping him grow, create, and stay grounded. It’s Hobi looking at that quiet smile within, and realizing that beauty, truth, and self-growth are all connected.


References:

Jung, C. G. (1953). Psychological Aspects of the Anima. In Collected Works of C.G. Jung (Vol. 9, Part I). Princeton University Press.
Jung, C. G. (1959). Aion: Researches into the Phenomenology of the Self. In Collected Works of C.G. Jung (Vol. 9, Part II). Princeton University Press.
Jung, C. G. (1964). Man and His Symbols. Dell Publishing.

Kuwentong Bangtan: Hope World X 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Because Hope is back in our purple world, here’s a review on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne), Hobi’s inspo and influence for his first album “Hope World” that landed #82 on Billboard back in 2018.

J-Hope’s Hope World, his first full-length album, is a vibrant exploration of optimism, self-reflection, and personal growth. Drawing inspiration from Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which J-Hope read in high school, the album mirrors the adventurous spirit of Captain Nemo’s underwater journey. Just as Nemo explores the vast unknown, J-Hope dives deep into his psyche, navigating through waves of hope, ambition, and introspection.

Tracks like “Daydream” and “Hope World” convey his dreams and aspirations, reminiscent of Verne’s theme of discovery, while maintaining an upbeat and colorful tone that reflects J-Hope’s own unique worldview.

That narrative of Hobi’s uniqueness continues on in two more albums that were released during BTS’ Military era, namely Jack in the Box and HOTS Vol. 1. We get to see the evolution of our HOPE as artist and lifelong learner.

This is J-HOPE. This is BTS. APOBANGPO!

Kuwentong Bangtan: NFT and Jack in the Box (2 of 2)

Continiuing the conversation on NFTs, Bangtan and the creative process in this digital age including ownership and intellectual property.

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From Jamie Bautista:  Not a fan of NFTs as someone who saw how speculative markets almost destroyed the comic industry in the 90s. Turning art into scarce “collectibles” as a form of short term earning and investment based purely on demand for the collectibility or scarcity of something is a bubble waiting to burst. I remember people buying comics in Mylar bags to resell them later but never reading the actual comic. The “collectibility” or scarcity for someone to pay more for it later is all NFTs bring to the table. Personally, as an artist, I’m staying away from it. Not judging artists who do it to gain income, but considering the only value it adds to the art is only there if someone will buy it for a higher price due to the artificial scarcity, it reduces art to just a speculative investment instrument (which can lose money and have no intrinsic value if no one later on is willing to pay more to buy it).

From Earl Valdez: NFT is basically unique digital content that is uniquely yours.

Closest analogy is art: the original Mona Lisa is in the Louvre. You may have copies of it framed and printed and hanged on your wall but its value is not like the original painting. The Mona Lisa is non-fungible, all the duplicates are fungible.

Now with digital content, there's a way to secure authenticity. Blockchain technology secures and authenticates content which assures that your NFT is unique and original.

With JITB, it's basically selling a CD without a CD. That can only be non-fungible if it is owned as a unique digital content like no other person has.

From Jamie Bautista: With an NFT, the art itself isn’t actually made non-fungible. People can still make exact copies of it and distribute it. What is made non-fungible is the ownership of the digital item. Basically, it’s a digital proof of ownership. But unlike the Mona Lisa, where it’s uniqueness comes from it being physical (like the texture of the canvas, the actual brushstroke details a high res photo can’t replicate), a digital good can always have perfect copies of it. All an NFT does is tell everyone “guys, the file this NFT points to (as NFTs don’t hold the actual files themselves, just a link to them) we all agree is one of a kind and is listed in the blockchain. And whoever is listed as owning it on the blockchain, they are the owner of this ‘original’ file.” An NFT does not make the digital item more or less accessible or even copy-proof. It’s a certificate of authenticity basically so people can agree that one particular version of a file is the “original” or is “unique”. The value comes from people wanting to buy that certificate for the right of “ownership” (and not of the copyright of intellectual property BTW. Just the ownership of that specific digital file.)

Kuwentong Bangtan: NFT and Jack in the Box (1 of 2)

A conversation on digital access, Jhope's new album and NFTs.

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This one is from my Facebook Page. Putting it here in the blog for emphasis and archiving. I lifted some comments that are helpful to track and to take note of. These comments are from two friends, namely Jamie Bautista and Fr. Earl Valdez.

I had this interesting conversation about NFT and blockchain technology with a friend at work. My friend has ventured into NFT created art work and she's pretty happy at the process. So I told her about Jhope of BTS' new album that will be accessible via Weverse (shop and album). I wondered if this is already the NFT-ization of BHE and HYBE artists' content and productions.

What followed was an exchange of questions and answers that helped me understand blockchains and NFT from her end as a content creator. I am still wrapping my head around this digital process of creating and consuming content especially from musicians and artists I am a fan of. As a consumer, I need to understand where I am putting my money on. As a fan, I wonder how this will affect my enjoyment and engagement of the art and the music I love. As teacher librarian, I am intrigued at the implications of blockchains and NFT on intellectual property, the changing value of information and the behavior of consumers towards content and knowledge creation.

Hybe is poised to go full swing on NFTs. With the volatility of NFTs and the ever changing landscape of technology, there is more to come indeed! But is it the best? We'll see.