[Delirium-Zer0]

Artcika's post is a very very useful summary of what these things all mean. douggn makes a good point that director's notes would definitely help to see how much of this is Ayu's influence and how much is the director's ideas. I wish I knew that about a good chunk of her videos!

I think the traditional, obvious sort of symbolism that's in the "part of Me" video certainly applies. A mantis foreshadowing death - indeed, the butterfly becomes a mantis just as Ayu's character dies. The snake could be symbolic of Ayu (a goddess of music) "cheating" death (eating the mantis) and being reborn.

Ayu herself growing into roots for a tree is a very basic symbol of rebirth/reincarnation that's seen even in western media (like the movie "The Fountain" for instance). Butterflies, in Asia in particular, are very commonly associated with reincarnation because of its complex life cycle.

The art direction matters here too, I think - red being a color of passion, luck, and beauty; white being a color to symbolize death and give the "afterlife" side of the video a heavenly look.

It's certainly an artistic video, but Ayu doesn't often use symbolism that you really have to reach to "get", none of the symbolism in this video is especially esoteric.