Let's Talk About Why Hong Lu’s Left Eye (his Jade) Is Getting Dimmer And What Are The Powers And Characteristics

Canto IV part 3 spoilers.

I just finished Chapter IV and my god what an emotional journey, I think this is my favorite Canto so far. I'm still so emotional that I need to share the details that stood out to me the most or touched me the most:

Something else; I'm sure the role each sinner held in Yi Sang's memories was not a coincidence, kind of as if depending on each sinner's affinity; the most appropriate role had been assigned to them and therefore a lot of things to analyze if this is the case.

I didn't think I was going to see or needed the Hong Lu / Yi Sang friendship but my god their interactions were so cute and touching I really liked this development between the two. The ending image was really the cherry on the cake when I saw that Hong Lu was the one who came to keep Yi Sang company. In short, I love their friendships and I can't help but think of this very funny meme that illustrated the two visions of nihilism using the characters lmao, two opposites that attract each other. Wholesome.

This is why I immediately want to emphasize the role of Outis in the memories: she was not the traitor in Yi Sang's memories since Dongrang was there and therefore played his role, but I still find it suspicious that 'she was the only one of the sinners (apart from Yi Sang but these are his memories) to have dialogue when the traitor is revealed.

The final boss song is just extraordinary, not to mention the OST which was just to die for but the end song! Mili has really surpassed herself.

I HATE Gubo because even though he "protected" (and again this is a big word) Yi Sang and seems to care about him, I only see that as manipulation and a way to exploit Yi Sang by taking advantage of his unstable mental state for his own benefit. Worst of all he locked Yi Sang up to work while putting him on drugs. It's really awful.

Speaking of the captivity and role of Yi Sang I can’t help but think that Yi Sang and Yosano from Bungou Stray Dogs look alike — in the sense that they are born prodigies (Yi Sang because of his genius and Yosano because of her gift) who have been exploited for their talent and kept at one point in a white room)

Speaking of genius I wonder if the lyrics in the song Lament “If you wanted me to carry on our dreams. Why’d you curse me with “you’re a natural born genius” refers directly to Yi Sang? Because it fits him so much.

But fortunately Yi Sang has found a new home. And oh boy I smile so much when Yi Sang admitted the bus and the Sinners were his new home and mates. It’s so touching seeing that Yi Sang walked without goal in mind or a place to return to, he just walked until he finds a new place where to belong and it happens to be the bus I am so emotional right now because it’s screaming found family and I love that!

In Conclusion awesome Canto I can’t wait for the next one!

Side note: Rodya, Don and Sinclair are so cute together on the end credit image! She looks so much like their mom.

+ I am sorry but at the end Dante is such a parent commenting on how the sinners are eating.

Hi ! Della is awesome and miss her kids so much, what a queen

[Repost following an involuntary erasure]

WAKE UP, CANTO 8 TRAILER SHOWN AND THERES A HONG LU ANIMATION. HONG LU PMOON'S FAVOURITE CHILD ALLEGATIONS REAL?!?!?!?!?1

OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!!!

THE BELL IS TOLLING, THE DAYS ARE NUMBERED, ANIMATION IN LIMBUS ?!! It's too much and it's just the teaser...

Is Hong Lu the tea ?

I really like this title but of course I'm not trying to imply that Hong Lu is literally tea but I would like to talk about a potential foreshadowing or metaphor (?) concerning Hong Lu and which takes place in the story Liu association 5.

It is not so much a theory but more of an analysis which serves to point at elements which seem to reinforce ideas we have about Hong Lu and to better understand or even guess what his canto will look like.

Summary:

Hong Lu is = to the tea of this story

The objectification of Hong Lu

Hong Lu is like water

Spoilers further below

I/ Hong Lu is = to the tea of this story

It's time to talk about the frames that initiated this over-analysis.

Frames that appear to be a rather trivial conversation about tea leading to a humorous exchange between the three characters. But is that really all there is to take from this exchange? What if there was a foreshadowing or/and a metaphor hidden behind it?

It's true that the dialogues at the end of this story, where Hong Lu discusses the ability of his left eye to shine, is more memorable. I admit that it was also the part that caught my attention the most at first. However, upon rereading this passage, I find this exchange very interesting to analyze.

So here we go:

I've seen some people discussing that Hong Lu's age is around 30 years (I think), but I couldn't find the post, so I'll rather assume that Hong Lu is between 20 and 30 years old, as many people (including myself) think.

And this is where it all begins, because when I see Hong Lu talking about a tea "fermented for over 20 years in an ideal environment" and described as "nigh priceless," I can't help but wonder if there's a direct parallel to be made with his character.

We already know that Hong Lu has lived a sheltered life, presumably since forever, in an environment isolated from the rest of the world by and with his family, until finally he joined Limbus Company, which became (it seems) his first experience of the outside world.

If we follow the idea that, Hong Lu is over 20 years old and that him joining Limbus Company was his first interaction with the outside world, then we can see his arrival at the company as if he was taken out of the closet, like the tea that was brought out after more than 20 years of fermanting in this "ideal environment".

It remains to be seen whether Hong Lu escaped this "closet" or if he was brought out for a particular reason.

All this to say that Hong Lu's life until the game’s events could be seen as that of tea fermenting for years before serving its purpose.

We can therefore draw a parallel between the fermentation of the tea Hong Lu talks about and the type of life Hong Lu has led so far: Hong Lu is like the tea, and perhaps this image can give us or confirm what Hong Lu's life was like and how it is meant to be seen: that Hong Lu was fermented within this familial environment to produce an individual nigh priceless.

[SD: Now, if I use the term "fermentation/fermented" to talk about Hong Lu, I will, of course, be referring to his sheltered life with his family, but it will be easier to use the same term to talk about both the tea and Hong Lu and to support the parallel.]

What's also interesting is that the ones behind the fermentation of the tea and Hong Lu happen to be the same: Hong Lu's family.

This, I find, reinforces the legitimacy of this comparison.

We can also note that Hong Lu often talks about the tea he savored while still living with his family, so in a way, tea is a reminder of home for Hong Lu or more precisely, his past life.

I know it's not much, but it could still be an indication inviting us to make this comparison or to pay attention to details where tea is mentioned.

Returning to this idea of fermentation, whereas we know that the fermentation of this tea is supposed to give it a unique taste or/and a unique smell, it's hard to say what the goal of Hong Lu's "fermentation" was.

Perhaps to give him a unique "taste," which for Hong Lu would equate to a predefined personality and/or identity corresponding to his family's expectations.

It may also correspond to the fact that Hong Lu was kept isolated from the rest of the world because: rich people's mentality that doesn't want to coexist with those they consider inferior. Who knows…

But ... I can't help but think that there's another reason for this, but it's still too early to really know which one.

II/ The Objectification of Hong Lu

Small parenthesis: Before continuing with the analysis of the tea, I think it's interesting to dwell on this parallel between Hong Lu and a precious object that might make us understand that the question of objectification is a theme that will be relevant for his character.

After all, if in this story Hong Lu is also supposed to be paralleled with, or even "be" the tea, then his status is reduced to that of a precious object brought out for special occasions or to boast to guests.

Moreover, in the same story, Hong Lu lets slip a phrase that might make us think he is reduced to the status of a precious object in his family's eyes, more precisely a precious stone.

Indeed, his heterochromia wouldn't be due to nothing since, if we follow the original plot of *Dream of the Red Chamber* from which his character is drawn, the color and glow emanating from Hong Lu's eye should be due to him being born with a magic jade in his eye (similar to Jia Baoyu (the character Hong Lu is supposed to be inspired by) who was born with a small magic jade stone in his mouth)).

So, a magic jade stone would be in Hong Lu's left eye or something equivalent that might, at least, looks like a jade stone.

And this discussion around his eye (and in a way, his "jade") is probably the first clue showing us that Hong Lu is reduced to this small stone that is the (only) thing giving him value (for his family).

Returning to the idea of objectification, this seems to be supported by the phrase I mentioned at the beginning of this parenthesis:

"To them… I was a gem of a child"

Which might be more literal than one might think.

What's interesting is that this phrase has the appearance of a "false truth" and of something trivial that might be more nightmare fuel than one might have thought if taken under a certain angle.

This seems to be a recurring mechanism in Hong Lu's character (and ties in with the novel's theme) where the first appearance of something can hide the exact opposite. This trivial phrase suggesting that Hong Lu was pampered by his family because he was their little treasure might actually be a phrase hiding a much crueler and darker reality:

That Hong Lu was literally a precious stone to his family and that his value as a human being was reduced to his eye, which seems to be what his family reduced his being to, if we follow this theory.

And Hong Lu seems to be trying to belittle or/and hide his situation.

Hong Lu was summed up to the precious stone in his eye, and that's all he was to his family: a precious gem.

And I mean, I'm fascinated by this atmosphere of falseness that seems to surround Hong Lu: everything seems to be a mirage, an illusion (pun intended).

No, but seriously, I don't know if these are coincidences or over-interpretation, but most of Hong Lu's stories and dialogues (especially those mentioning his family) are steeped in this atmosphere of smoke and mirrors.

It's all the more fascinating that these moments seem to be a glimpse, a warning of what Hong Lu's canto will be: deceptions everywhere. I find it impressive that even in Hong Lu's mechanics / construction and writing, everything brings us back to this impression that we're facing an illusion.

This last paragraph might not have been very clear, but I'm having a bit of trouble describing my thoughts, hope you’d get a part of what I meant.

III/ Hong Lu is Water

So far, this served to show that it was possible to draw a parallel between what's said about the tea and Hong Lu.

It's time now to look at the last element that might give us more to understand how Hong Lu sees himself or the shape his identity crisis will take.

Indeed, we know that each sinner, through their canto, gets through a sort of identity crisis.

They reconnect in a certain way with their identity and face or evolve from a toxic way they had of dealing with their vision of themselves and their identity: Gregor existed only through his mother's expectations and his trauma related to the war and him being dehumanized, Rodya lived through her guilt feeling responsible for what happened to her neighborhood and the view Sonya had of her, Sinclair also lived with his guilt but also his anger towards Kromer, Ishmael lived only for revenge on her captain, etc...

Well, it is still debatable whether each sinner listed and from future cantos are/will be at the same stage of "personal development" and if they all managed/will manage to detach from their past to live for their future (cough, *cough* Gregor).

But I think that, through their Canto, the sinners learn to reconnect (at least a little) with their identity, their true self by "eliminating" what hindered this recognition so far: Herman, Kromer, Ahab...

And I think that's the essential: this reconnection with oneself.

Moreover, I'm not saying that each sinner has renounced their past, forgetting it in a drawer to live entirely differently without it impacting them, but that they have learned to live for a future rather than for and through their past.

A canto thus serves (in part) to help the concerned Sinner reconnect with their identity and their vision of their life/self.

But how would this apply to Hong Lu?

On one hand, I think first by breaking this image of an object that Hong Lu may possess in his family's eyes and perhaps in his own if he was raised with this vision of himself.

But also by tackling this illusory image of himself that Hong Lu displays.

After all, despite the rarity of this tea, the only remark Faust makes is:

"Despite the intense scent, the taste is essentially blank…" and she emphasizes this again by calling it "scented water."

I find that this image of tea being "scented water" is perfectly reflecting the idea that it's a deception, that what we are presented with is actually an illusion.

Indeed, this description could be an excellent example/metaphor of what an illusion is:

"A false interpretation of what one perceives. and Appearance devoid of reality."

The reality of this tea, which is its taste, is masked by an illusion, its scent, which comes across much more intensely to drown out this reality.

I believe this description underscores one of the themes that I think will be very important regarding Hong Lu: this often blurry distinction between what is real and what is an illusion and the idea that what appears true is false, and what appears false is true. This echoes one of the most important passages in the book from which Hong Lu's character is drawn:

"Truth becomes fiction when the fiction's true;

Real becomes not-real when the unreal's real."

We have seen many examples with Hong Lu where what he shows/says is either the opposite of what we thought, or the first impression was ultimately not the reality. For instance, when Hong Lu tells his story on the abandoned ship, we first think it’s a horror story before the twist reveals a truth radically opposed to what we thought.

The fact that Faust refers to water as a base is logical since we’re talking about tea, but it could also be an intelligent way to create a metaphor/foreshadowing with Hong Lu's behavior, which remains quite subdued and sometimes seems deceptive/false.

Moreover, this metaphor is made through an element that is more than perfect to describe someone who only reflects an image and is never their own reflection or lacks personality: water.

Transparent water can symbolize a lack of true substance or character. Similarly, a person whose personality is transparent can be perceived as lacking authenticity or sincerity. This transparency is masked by a scent to try to hide this emptiness and show the opposite of what it really is.

It’s a bit like Jack Vessalius in Pandora Hearts for those who know it.

Oswald describes Jack as water, as someone who only reflects an image, without true authenticity or a real identity of his own. In a sense, he is always playing a role.

It is also always interesting to remember that one of the most important characters in the novel "Dream of the Red Chamber," Lin Daiyu, who has a close relationship with the main character, Jia Baoyu, is a character associated with the element of water. She spends most of the novel being described as weeping or crying, and this is due to the “debt of tears” she promised to repay to the jade stone that helped her in her previous life when she was a flower. Lin Daiyu, being the reincarnation of the flower, repays her debt by crying in her new reincarnation. Hence her association with water.

But let’s get back to our main point.

Next, what’s interesting is the sentence Faust uses right after to criticize the tea she was served:

“I must wonder though, is there a good reason to pay such a stiff price for… for lack of a better word, scented water.”

We try to mask the transparency of this water with a strong scent, but in the end, it remains an illusion and doesn’t fix the real “problem” of this tea: it’s tasteless, without personality. Could Hong Lu then be just scented water that conveys an image filled with scent (that of a young aristocrat who has had an easy life and has been immersed in wealth all his life) to mask his lack of identity or self/ownness (is that a word)?

Hong Lu is merely scented water; he emits a strong and misleading scent that seems to suggest a certain vision he is or/and others have of him, but in the end, he remains just water to which a scent has been added. Perhaps this water couldn’t develop its own taste because it has been fermenting for over 20 years in an ideal environment, imposing on it a scent that has defined its entire identity.

This could also be seen as a metaphor that ties back to the idea of smoke and mirrors and that this image of a dandy that comes from Hong Lu is just an illusion whose scent is stronger and masks his real "taste".

And it also could be a way to reinforce this idea that Hong Lu try to hide or belittle the/his reality with a stronger "scent", masking the reality with something more noticeable even if it's just an illusion.

Hong Lu should then, during his Canto, learn to renounce the bases that has given him a bit of scent until now, what allowed him to be more than just water, to have an identity, to find a new one/ his true self that would be much more authentic and real.

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With some of my friends we are launching drawing challenges for May and I thought I would post the best ones here.

Today's theme was: Favorite Video Game Character

Pichu (especially the spiky eared pichu) will always remain in my heart, so many memories on Soulsiver.

Today's episode was so great, so many things to analyse and discuss but two main things I want to bring:

1. Just the fact that it is pretty confirmed that Belos's brother die at eclypse lake, don't know if he sacrificed his own brother on purpose but knowing Belos; he probably did.

Anyway my first point is :

Oh my god I LOVE foreshadowings and Hunter saying that eclipse lake is his grave, when in reality, yes it is, in a way.

It's the grave of his old self, Belos' brother, once again hinting the connection between both.

I know everyone must already have make the connection before this episode aired, but since it wasn't yet confirmed that Belos's brother died there (I think but I may be weong), I just wanted to bring back this foreshadowing because I love it so much, such good writing

2. Then, I am more and more thinking that Hunter's name was not aimed to be a name. Knowing Belos, I am sure he named the clone of his dead brother by his functiun. It fits so much with the character. Belos doesn't care about Hunter, he never did and never will and he named him "hunter" because it is his goal,his purpose: he has to hunt something.

I know many saw him as the sacrifice for the day of unity but why Hunter must be the sacrifice if anyone could be in the past, what makes Hunter so special as a sacrifice in the present moment and more important than in the past.

Why Belos who was willing to sacrifice any witches in the past would bother to create a magical clone (of his brother) for a sacrifice. Why does the sacrifice, if any, have to involve Hunter?

I think Hunter is going to be in charge of hunting something, the collector maybe? But why is Hunter the most qualified to hunt something? Does Belos hates his brother so much that he wants to kill him not once but twice by sacrificing him once more?

No idea, lack of info but I just wanted to put it there

We’ve lost a truly remarkable treasure. Rest in peace, Russi Taylor.  Thank you for gracing generations with your talents. 

[Memory]

[All Alone]

To celebrate the release of one piece red globally! Congratulations !

And also while waiting to see Uta again in the manga...