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| Photo Cr: MYSTIC STORY |
ARrC is the first boy group from MYSTIC STORY. The seven members include ANDY, CHOI HAN, DOHA, HYUNMIN, JIBEEN, KIEN, and RIOTO. Their group name is an acronym for ‘Always Remember the real Connection,’ signifying the importance of sincere connection beyond space, time, and differences. They debuted in August 2024, with the first mini album, "AR^C."
ARrC has released their third mini-album titled "HOPE," which conveys the group's theme of building relationships, conquering doubt, and finding positivity amid global turmoil. The opening and title track 'awesome' takes inspiration from early 2000s hip-hop while adding ARrC's contemporary flair. The track portrays a series of minor mishaps that could happen to anyone, while motivating people to exclaim 'awesome' as a way to shift their perspective and improve their day.
The music video which accumulated over an impressive 5 million views draws from multiple cultural influences, including Korea, Japan, Indonesia, and Portugal. Set against backdrops reminiscent of 1980s Japanese school cinema—featuring deserted buildings, worn playgrounds, and martial arts training spaces—the video blends realistic and symbolic imagery, incorporating Dokkaebi, legendary beings from Korean mythology.
For ARrC, Dokkaebi symbolize their internal perspective. These creature-like beings in the video convey an upbeat theme: unfortunate situations can become fortunate based on our viewpoint. Drawing from traditional ceremonial masks of Indonesia's Barong, Portugal's Careto, and Korea's Hahoetal traditions, these characters don't evoke terror—instead, they represent young people's capacity to transform setbacks into laughter, errors into opportunities, and disorder into innovation.
With their multicultural influences and optimistic worldview clearly embedded in their artistry, our media peers sat down with ARrC to explore how these themes play out in their daily lives and creative process.
HYUNMIN: One, two, three!
All: Hello, we are ARrC!
Given their international makeup and very diverse cultural references, we were curious about how the members navigate communication and connection across different backgrounds.
KW: What's the funniest misunderstanding that has happened because of language barriers?
KIEN: There are a lot of funny moments when words sound different than expected or take on an unexpected meaning. Those kinds of misunderstandings actually make things fun and help keep the mood light within the team.
Speaking of turning potentially awkward moments into positive experiences, we wanted to know how the members personally relate to the central message of their "awesome" concept.
KW: The dokkaebi in your video represents turning bad luck into good luck - What is something you thought was bad, but you are now grateful for?
DOHA: I had a few incidents that were pretty "awesome." One time, I was on my phone on my bed, but dropped it. I looked under the bed to look for my phone, but I luckily found my glasses that I recently bought and have been looking for during a couple of months. I was unlucky to drop my phone, but lucky enough to find my phone and my new glasses.
HYUNMIN: Two, three! This has been
All: ARrC! Thank you~
Special thanks ot Mystic Story, ARrC, and Helix Publicity!