#WILL watch it once i finish HNK...promise...

[chocokeyboard]

CHOCO, you GOAT. YOU ALSO ENJOY MADOKA TOO?

HEHE NEON...yes yes!! Thought i haven't watched it. But like, i know everything that happens already so like weewoooo

[king-paimon]

Houseki no Kuni Chapter 106 Thoughts: Bon Voyage...

Hello all. I hope these last few months have been kind to you in some way. These months have been... a lot. Some very good things happened, and some very bad. I wish we lived in a world were tragedies were just fiction, but that sadly isn't the case. I won't elaborate, but I promise, I'm okay. I just hope 2024 improves, though I know for many others, just hoping isn't enough.

I'm sorry for this late post. Once again, real life had me so distracted that I honestly forgot about Houseki no Kuni's chapter coming out this month. I only remembered when I saw activity around my older HnK posts.

Well, I finished reading the chapter and it was very beautiful and sad in different ways. I'll share more of my thoughts, though I don't think it'll be as long or detailed as my previous ones to be honest... Though I could be wrong! We'll see how it fairs. And who knows? Maybe I'll make another post to dissect this chapter further. But for now, I'll just write whatever comes to mind and try to make it as coherent as possible. I hope you like it. And as always, please feel free to share your own thoughts!

Here we go!

Thunderous Spectacle: The Final Journey

Once again, Ms. Haruko Ichikawa decided to flex her art skills by making beautiful, bombastic illustrations that encapsulates the chaos that is happening on Earth. And the ship departing looks straight out of a sci-fi movie; my mind went to Star Trek when I first saw those pages. Maybe Dune would be more appropriate; I actually don't know, I haven't read or watched Dune, though I hear it's very good.

I wish I had more to say about the visuals for this chapter, but I think they speak for themselves. I will say though...It's moments like this when I marvel... this was originally about a silly gem child trying to find their place in the world. And this is how their journey is finally coming to an end. Almost nothing is recognizable. This certainly was not how I thought this story, or specifically Phos' story, was going to unfold. I wonder if this was Haruko Ichikawa's plan from the beginning? Who can say...

Speaking of plans... Let's talk about Phos's and Eyeball's conversation.

Manipulation or Consideration: Humanity's Parting "Gift"

That was an interesting conversation Eyeball and Phos had when they were finishing up putting the little pebbles onto the ship. I think I remember stating in the last post how I thought it was odd that the Lunarians had this ship prepared for Phos. I'm glad this was somewhat addressed, but the conversation reveals that there was more behind this literal Deus ex Machina ship.

(I will never stop calling it that)

So if I'm understanding Eyeball's logic, Adamant and the Lunarians were considering Phos in the end? That after Phos fulfilled their last duties to the remnants of humanity that they'd be given the chance to leave the planet with whatever species came about before the planet died- Oh. Wait.

Wait.

Was this the thing that Adamant and Aechmea were alluding to back in chapter 96???

Oh my goodness, I think it was.

As I was typing this and going over some of the saved pages I had from the previous chapters, I saw the one with Euclase and I suddenly remembered their weird conversation with Adamant and Aechmea. I also remembered wondering what the heck they meant in the later chapters since their plan for Phos seemed to only be self serving.

HUH.

( Please let me know if I'm way off! For all I know, I could be making stuff up, but oh my goodness, when I made that connection AAaahh)

This was not how this portion was originally going to go, but there you go. I was going to talk about how twisted but not surprising how calculated everything was from the the Lunarians and the other ruminants of humanity's end. And I was also going to mention how the Doctor also fit into this since she was also calculated and manipulative in her own ways. Despite the different forms it takes, humanity didn't seem to change much in this world...

I was also going to originally say that the Deus ex machina ship feels like a backhanded "gift" for Phos, especially after everything that happened to them. And though I still feel that way, after thinking back to chapter 96, I'm now starting to see Phos's perspective of this gift. That despite everything that they put them through, Phos's former families still left this parting gift for them so they could live on elsewhere after they are long gone and when Phos was free from their duties. It's still a backhanded gift in my opinion, but it showed that they cared... at least a bit.

And the fact that their plan also included Eyeball is just wow. I do not blame his small, comedic outburst for that realization. He was manipulated too from the getgo!

At least in the end, Phos chose not to go into the ship. Phos intended to burn that bridge. Even though this thought was implanted by Sensei, Adamant, and the Lunarians, Phos still made that choice on their own and they are owning it. It's bittersweet, though, because regardless of whether or not they stayed or went, Phos's decisions were still a result of them being manipulated one way or another. Pretty much a lose-lose kind of situation, but at least the choice that Phos chose in the end still aligned with what they wanted in they end.

They are giving Eyeball and the little pebbles a chance for a fresh start while Phos can finally end the cycle... By taking humanity and himself to bitter end...

Or does he?

Goodnight, Phosphophyllite

The final farewell between Phos and Eyeball was touching. In a last minute decision to give Phos closure and in an act of true salvation, Eyeball took the last piece of Phos with him. The true remaining piece of Phosphophyllite. To me, this action felt more earnest and heartwarming than the Deus Ex Machina Ship (but that's just me).

What will happen with that piece of Phosphophyllite? Who knows? Maybe that piece will gain sentience and live a peaceful life with the pebbles? A life free of all the constraints as well as the freedoms that was intentionally and unintentionally reinforced within societies created by the former remnants of humanity? I suppose we'll have to wait and see.

As for the Phos that was left behind? The Phos that we've watch evolve from the beginning to end? They will finally rest.

They will finally, and truly be free.

(Albeit in a seemingly not so pleasant way?? Well, they weren't complaining so maybe the lava and other harsh elements isn't hurting them. I hope that's the case.)

I had the feeling that this chapter will be the last time we see Phos, or at least this version of Phos, and it would be a sad but proper send off.

But after seeing THIS at the end, I'm not so sure:

Of course Haruko Ichikawa decides to be cheeky with that little note. Ma'am. Why did you say this???

Is this her roundabout way of saying that Phos is kind of back to square 1? Of being the lonely, jobless Phos who no longer has a purpose and is left with nothing to do but "think." That's pretty funny/messed up joke if that's what she's hinting at.

But again, we'll have to wait and see.

WELP. That's all I have for you all. I hope you enjoyed my ramblings and I'd love to hear what you thought about this chapter. We're nearly at the end of this saga. We're are almost there...

Please be worth it.

[bootlickerhawks]

Thoughts on HNK 😈

Me, immediately after finishing chapter 97:

I had a general idea where the story was headed because of fanart I've come across, but even after you warned me nothing could have prepared me for the torrent of emotions I would feel ;w;

Apologies but this is going to be discombobulated af (my thoughts are all over the place >_<) and LONG (1.1k words) but that's a given with a story like HNK.

Reading this, especially in the latter half, is akin to watching a rollercoaster wildly veer off the rails only to crash in a crowd of innocent people…. And then it keeps going and keeps running over people in its path. the people, in this scenario, are my emotions :”)

THE CHARACTERS

Ship of Theseus and Phos > Phos’ development throughout the story makes us doubt if this is even the same character anymore. We see the first signs of it after Phos lost their legs and forgot about their promise to Cinnabar, and again after Antrac died, and then it becomes much more obvious when Lapis’ head is installed. This comes to a head when Phos can’t remember their promise after Cinnabar thanks them and when they can’t even recognize their past self on their way to Adamant’s desk. What makes the tragedy of Phos’ character work so well is that they do accomplish what they originally set out to do: Cinnabar’s poison is gone and they’re no longer isolated, Antarc is resurrected and the Gems are finally living in peace (as Lunarians*, more on that in the ART section). But Phos can’t even appreciate what they’ve accomplished because they a) don’t remember and b) CAN’T FUCKING SEE IT BECAUSE THEY’VE BEEN SENTENCED TO BE ISOLATED FOR 10 000 YEARS (jfc talk abt a fate worse than death)  

Overall I really adore Phos! The way they metamorphosize throughout the story is fascinating to watch. I loooooove the buildup of Phos’ suspicions towards Adamant and their downfall feels organic. This is a corruption arc Done Right! They’re truly one of the most compelling protagonists I’ve seen in a long time.

I kinda wish Dia and Bort’s conflict had more focus. Dia building up an image of Bort in their mind, finally gathering the courage to confront them only for Bort to pull the rug under their feet because they changed so drastically is great. I wish we’d seen more of it but I am satisfied with what we got.  Side note 1: I love character’s like Dia that are really cheerful on the outside but hide “nasty” emotions like envy and resentment only for those emotions to boil over. *chef’s kiss* I eat that shit up!  Side note 2: Bort’s character development is hilarious (and not to bring a dead meme back to life but it might be a Jojo reference? Strong stoic character grows up and becomes a marine biologist. Coincidence? I think not!)

Speaking of character conflict! I find it disappointing that most of the closure happened off-screen. Especially Welegato/Cairngorm and Ghost, the last time they interacted Ghost was breaking Cairngorm to prevent them from becoming independent. You would think that would create some uh “tension” to put it lightly. Rutile and Padparadscha (yes I had to look at the wiki to write that correctly) seemingly have a lot of unresolved issues, which makes sense given how fucked their relationship was, but I doubt we’ll get to see them addressed since the manga is ending soon (I think? That’s what I heard? The story does seem to be headed towards its climax).  On the flip side I understand why the author didn’t do it cuz it would have slowed the pacing down.

Cinnabar is my fav so I was really disappointed when they faded to the background, but since this story is mainly from Phos’ POV it makes sense that Cinnabar would take a step back once Phos starts avoiding them. This also explains why Dia and Bort’s conflict rarely has any focus because Phos doesn’t care about it (unless it’s to exploit it).  I do have hope that Cinnabar is going to play a big role in the climax. My theory is that they’ll stay behind with Phos after Phos prays everyone else away since they understand the pain of isolation (same reason they took Sensei’s side) but we’ll see. Everything depends on how Phos reacts (and we all know how notoriously unpredictable they are). 

I feel conflicted about Cairngorm/Welegato. Cairngorm is my other fav and they were one of the most interesting characters and had a fun dynamic with Phos but after the Moon arc they kinda became flat :(  I’ve said this before but there is a tragic irony that Cairn’s attempt to emancipate themselves ended up with them becoming dependent on someone else. I am glad that Cairn is happy and that Achmea hasn’t taken advantage of the obvious power imbalance between them (yet) but I had higher hopes for Cairn. Disappointment aside, I will say that I really enjoyed the scene where Cairn directly confronted Phos on the way that they treat people and correctly foreshadowed Phos’ fate : isolation.

Achmea is a character that I have a hard time pinpointing my feelings on… I think I like him?  I'm glad he doesn’t fall into the annoying “Everything went according to keikaku MUAHAHA” trope. He took advantage of Phos’ nature instead of actively grooming them into “becoming human”, I know it’s a very fine line but it’s a line nonetheless and I appreciate him for it. My tolerance for badly executed “control” characters is very low *glares at seraph of the end* 

Euclase is a character I didn’t really care about til chapter 96. I respected them and Jade for being the first to figure out what Phos was up to when they came back from the Moon, but other than that I didn’t care about them much. But chapter 96 changed that! Thank you Euclase for being the voice of reason!!! ​​🙌 Leaving someone isolated for 10 000 years is fucked up! Thank god someone pointed it out! ​​🙌 

And that’s it for the character section! Those are all the characters I have strong opinions on! (I didn’t include Adamant because I need to reread hnk before I can form a definitive opinion 🤔)

THE ART

The first thing that stands out in HNK is the art. Now, if I were more verbose I could comment on page composition and the author’s use of light and shadow, but I’m not so I’ll just say this: the art in HNK tickles the part of my brain that really enjoys art :D 

I love the character designs and the art, especially the body horror (shattered!Phos is ✨Peak Character Design✨). 

My one complaint(?) is that once the Gems became Lunarians I had a hard time distinguishing/recognizing them. But I’m thinking that might be intentional as a way for the author to comment on cultural assimilation? And given that the Lunarians are the same people that casually brought up genociding the poor fish people... I think it's intentional 🤔

The Buddhist imagery is beautiful. The first time the lunarians appeared I had to pause to appreciate what I was looking at. Sadly a lot of the symbolism goes over my head because I’m not well versed in Buddhist mythology, like Enma being the god of the underworld in Buddhism (I only know that thanks to a comment I saw under the chapter)   

My final verdict is that my brain chemicals have definitely been altered after reading HNK. Even if the author doesn't nail the ending the journey so far has been unforgettable, and I suspect that HNK and Phos are going to be living rent free in my brain for many years to come

[mecha-omega]

Houseki No Kuni to me is one of the few series that I’ve felt so much emotions from. From start to Chapter 98, I’d never seen such a beautiful series quite like HnK.

I was in HS at Sophomore year when I came across this series. An Anituber I’ve watched was talking about the Crunchyroll awards and how “Land of the Lustrous��� won Anime of the Season. As a kid with time on his hands I’ve watched the anime and oh my god. The transitions from 3D to 2D, the atmosphere, music, and of course the characters, the anime was perfect to me and still is. Granted, this was a time where 3D in anime was despised and amplified when Berserk (2016) released, so a good story WITH GOOD 3D?! NO SHOT!!!

It took me till Jr. year for me to read the manga, reason was that I wanted to know how part 5 of JoJo was gonna end since the anime was near the finishing line. But my irl wanted me to wait so after back and forth I decided to read Houseki No Kuni to see where the story continues after Episode 12. I absolutely loved it, I cried and laughed multiple times when reading it, it’s just that beautiful to me.

Ichikawa to me is one of if not my favorite Mangaka of all time. Her one shots (although some of them are iffy) are still beautiful but Houseki is just on another level. It sucks that it’s compared to Steven Universe but once you watch/read it, it’s NOTHING like SU I promise you.

If you wanna watch/read it, go for it. The anime is only 12 episodes long and as of October 28th it’s on its 98th chapter. Will it get a AoT like ending? God I hope not but if it doesn’t and it get a good bittersweet ending… it’ll be a masterpiece but for now, to me it’s a 10/10. Links to watch/read Houseki no Kuni. Note: I honestly recommend the official translations for higher quality but if you have no other alternatives, here you go.  https://mangadex.org/title/cade38b7-64c4-4a29-8e3c-8c283291d6c6/houseki-no-kuni https://animixplay.to/v1/houseki-no-kuni-tv