Red Velvet’s Seulgi Explains The Storyline Behind Her “28 Reasons” Album Trailer

The behind-the-scenes of Seulgi‘s album trailer was released on Red Velvet‘s YouTube. While everyone was raving over the concept and Actress Seulgi, the less-than-90-seconds trailer left many open-ended questions about the storyline.

SEULGI | 28 Reasons (Official Album Trailer)https://t.co/rsuO9DUXeL#슬기 #SEULGI#레드벨벳 #RedVelvet #28Reasons pic.twitter.com/7LZ3hgXxmT

— Red Velvet (@RVsmtown) September 12, 2022

While the trailer and the overall concept of 28 Reasons are sinister, the aggression and darkness in the character Seulgi portrays aren’t directed at others for pure violence but are instead brought out because of self-defense.

 (In the video) the aggression isn’t that about harming others But it is to show that you have the power to fight back.

— Creative Team Member

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To further the message that this villain is one born out of retaliation and revenge, the creative team included a scene of Seulgi setting a car on fire to save a bird.

She is the type of person who can even set fires if you steal what’s precious to her.

— Creative Team Member

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After watching the demo, Seulgi commented that what she liked most was that even though there was no scene where someone died, you could still see that the girl was powerful. While the trailer portrays a girl becoming a villain, there’s no excessive use of violence or destruction. In fact, some parts reveal the villain’s tragic past, making it easier for the audience to sympathize with this “evil” being.

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While Seulgi was filming, she easily slipped into character, making it hard to believe that she’s never acted before. She commented on how her character was someone who had been hurt many times and that no one had given her the care and love she needed.

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When the character decides to fight back, she at first is hesitant to do evil things for the sake of revenge. However, after committing the first crime, she gains the confidence to do whatever it takes for her vengeance.

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Several motifs throughout the trailer and music video of “28 Reasons” further highlight the changes Seulgi goes through, including burning the car carrying the furniture that used to be her shelter and burning the bed she was chained to.

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Seulgi in a high school uniform reflects the past that the present Seulgi is setting on fire. In the past, she was ignored by all her classmates, becoming almost like an invisible presence to them.

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Growing up isolated at a time when love and nurture are most important has devastating effects on a person, and it reveals that the villain Seulgi became wasn’t born out of insanity but out of hurt and loneliness.

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With the nail-clipping scene at the swimming pool, Seulgi asks fans, “What do you think happened to this girl that made her do this at a swimming pool?”

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Covered in physical and emotional wounds, the girl reached a breaking point and began to wish destruction and vengeance against those who put her in the situation.

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She’s become stronger than the girl she was in the past, but Seulgi can’t help but be saddened by the girl’s fate. Due to the huge amount of pain the girl had to endure, she turned into a villain, choosing to use evil to hurt those who hurt her even more.

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But is it entirely her fault, given that she was a victim in the first place and pushed to the point of no return? Who’s really the villain, in this case?