WIEGE ANALYSIS

part one of three

To begin this analysis, it’s worth taking a look at the title and what that represents for the song itself. The name of this episode is "Wiege," which, as we know, is to cradle. It's a childish sentiment, to be rocked to sleep, but isn't it so tender? Isn't that love? Yet Luka doesn't know the meaning of "love–" I mean, who does, in this world? But especially Luka, who equates love to control, doesn't understand what it means to be human, which is also interesting because he was artificially created. What does it mean to love? Is it worth loving if it means being weak? Finding out the answer to such a simple question is what Luka's character is all about.

Hyuna sings the first verse, beginning the song the same way she was the one to approach him in their first meeting. She refers to Luka as “my child…” singing to him with such gentleness, a humanity that he couldn’t have possibly known thanks to both his upbringing and origins as an artificial human. Music is an expression of love; for example, Till’s mother to her son, singing lullabies just like Wiege. Hyuna’s the one cradling Luka, singing to him softly. And, despite Luka contrasting Hyuna as "my savior" and a "pitiful soul" in ROMH, I’d argue that, based on Luka’s expressions in Wiege, he’s the pitiful one– a child seeking comfort from a past that eludes him.

"In your dreams, you'll run and play..." signifies how Luka wanted to be like everyone else; he wanted to be a kid, to be rocked to sleep and play with friends. It’s so interesting to me that the MV constantly goes back-and-forth between childhood Luka and current Luka, showcasing that he never truly grew up... in other words, he's eternally stuck in his memories. Despite presenting himself as someone “above” everyone else thanks to his control over the stage, he’s just as emotionally immature as the rest of the cast– he just happens to be better at hiding it.

I’d like to emphasize the “in your dreams,” which reminds not only Luka but also the audience that these ideal lives are not reality. Everyone craves a paradise that shields them from their reality (this is also made clear from the AU scenes), and Wiege carefully cradles that dream while singing about the truth they need to face (the canon ALNST timeline).

Also, note that the lyric "in paradise" begins as soon as Hyuna shows up in the MV. Why? Because that’s what she is to Luka: his savior, the ruler of his heart, and his paradise. Luka's artificial creation doesn't take away from his desire to be loved, to be like everyone else, and Hyuna was the one to approach him and make his “dreams” to "run and play" come true.

Now Luka sings. He starts out the same way: “hush, my child.” He’s mimicking Hyuna, but this time it’s not for the sake of taking over; it’s to be on equal ground with the woman he loves.

He wants to be an equal, to comfort her, and we /know/ he’s singing to comfort her because the MV turns to Hyuna’s escape, which was one of the most painful moments for her (whether physically, mentally, or both). In the worst of times, Luka’s voice shines clear within her mind…. but whether or not that’s a good thing is a different story, as noted in her monologue later.

“Gentle now, go to sleep.” He’s trying to console her, but Hyuna’s memories are nightmares, not dreams. She dreams of the brother she’s lost, of the man she wants to forget. Her escape was a turning point not only for the obvious reasons, but also because it’s Hyuna trying to leave the past behind. But let’s not forget that another characteristic of Hyuna is that she /can’t/ leave the past behind. She’s physically not there, but it plagues her nonetheless, hence the flashbacks to Anakt.

“And somewhere in that moment, the lonely moon will dream.” I personally interpret Luka as the moon in this scenario, contrasting Hyuna’s comparison to the light in ROMH. During this lyric, Hyuna is portrayed surrounded by people in the MV. She’s not only Luka’s paradise– she’s someone who constantly draws people in with her sociable personality. She doesn’t belong to him. If we recall ROMH lyrics, she “even outburns the shining sun.” Luka, however, is doomed to be alone.

Luka calling himself “lonely” is also such a huge admission. It’s him showing weakness, showing that, despite all the attention he gains from Alien Stage, he’s still devastatingly lonely. No fame equates to the love he lost when Hyuna left; nothing fills that void.

Lastly, what strikes me as particularly interesting in this final line (for this portion of my analysis) is that Wiege is, above all, a consolation/a lullaby. He’s essentially saying “I’m still here. I’m dreaming too. Somewhere out there, I am dreaming of you.”

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Pub: 22 Aug 2021 16:11 UTC

Edit: 15 Aug 2025 12:51 UTC

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