#I. NEED TO HTINK ABOUT FUCKING SEODORE AGAIN

[ariapmdeol]

please be free and post your coe analysis i want to see it

OK SO. THIS IS THE METAFICTION THEORY/ANALYSIS, AND INVOLVES SPOILERS FOR THE MOST RECENTLY TRANSLATED PART OF THE DLC (part 5), ALONG WITH SPOILERS FOR. THE ENTIRE BASE GAME. it has nothing from beyond that, to the best of my knowledge (though it implies things for future content). This ended up as longer than expected oops. I will make another analysis post on specific moments that stood out to me at some point but this one is specifically for metafiction stuff!

I want to do character analysis posts at some point as well, so if you have any suggestions for who i should do first please lmk! :D

relevant image:

OK SO. METAFICTION is a type of fiction that consistently reminds the audience that it is, in fact, fiction. I've been also using this term to stories in which the medium through which it is told is relevant to the story and narrative. One example of this would be DELTARUNE. The soul (player) is separate from the protagonist (Kris), and the in game mechanics are relevant as well (re: snowgrave). it's Meta in the sense that it challenges the reader/player to reconsider what we see as normal from a gameplay standpoint vs what is a part of the STORY.

I BELIEVE that Cell of Empireo uses metafiction as a part of it's narrative, and that the structure of the game itself is relevant to the remainder of the game. Cell of Empireo, ESPECIALLY in the DLC, makes use of the fact that IT IS A GAME as a major plot thread (i predict this to be more relevant in future DLC parts/hermits room/interlude). I've talked about this a little in the other COE theory post but. this is a DEDICATED analysis so i can go into DETAIL.

one of the earlier and most explicit hints we get of this meta narrative in COE is in chapter 6 part 2 of the eng translation. THIS DOCUMENT HERE is in the Empyrean Heaven Research Institute, and is listed without an author.

I BELIEVE the author of this document is NONE OTHER than SEODORE RIDDLE. It's either him or Mutei, but Mutei was uninvolved with the EHRI so it HAS to be Seodore. I am pretty sure he's aware of the true nature of 'this world' (the ingame world).

specifically, by referring to the 'source code of the world', I don't think they meant this metaphorically. i think they meant this LITERALLY. LITERALLY THE SOURCE CODE OF THE GAME THAT WE ARE PLAYING.

I want to specifically point out the Purple text at the end of S, before S+. it reads:

"Oh, what a surprise. Well, congratulations! I hadn't thought it possible to come to this domain without going through anything else. ......Nn? Aah, who are you? Well, no need to act so defensive. That aside. It'd be nice if hope could be found in that 'this was a process'?" "Well, but this is a matter of will. No matter how God interferes. Without one to receive it, God's love can't be written out. So, please tell me. Your 'will'." "'Do you accept God's love?'"

By selecting yes, we see the three rings of light (i wonder if its relevant that there are THREE of them...) and get sent back to our first meeting with Hatsutori. This. this is META. the game itself plays with our expectations of a 'credits' scene and uses it to PUSH FORWARD THE NARRATIVE. it breaks what is expected as a PART OF THE GAME.

It's more than just a bonus scene too; the fact that S route happened is a PART of the story as well! Haruki specifically says THIS

Hatsutori: Once again, good day. Haruki Atou-kun. This is our first time meeting, shall I say. Atou: No....... This isn't our first time.

He IS AWARE of the S route. Hatsutori calls it "arrival."

Why is the term "Arrival" important? because that is what we call the endings! the translation calls them "Arrival Points"! This links us back to the SAVE FILES OF THE GAME. Haruki is AWARE of the S route on a subconscious level. This can also link to why the game has hidden timers and route info as well-- by playing multiple times, us the player AND Haruki the character know more of whats going on! That's why it's so hard to get the S ending first try, because it relies on the PLAYER'S knowledge of what to do! We are a PART of Atou's story beyond just controlling his actions!

The three rings of light.... Three books of the Divine Comedy (Inferno Purgatorio Paradiso).... Which connects us back to "the Divine Comedy is a reality left in this world." I need to think more on what this could mean. I think this has to do with accessing the 'source code' but either way it is meta.

Mutei's document (the only one we've seen so far) expands on this when we get to see it in DLC part 5. I will put the document below (note that this is the only mutei doc we've seen in the eng TL so far. i am so desperate to understand this man so fucking bad. the second i understand whats going on with him its over for all of you).

he says this AS A WRITER. SEODORE is using this info to REWRITE the definitions of the world, and edit the source code. This is why he has that glitchy effect whenever he uses Brugmansia: he is LITERALLY rewriting the code. I think Seodore is the only one TRULY aware of this whole world as a 'story', along with Mutei.

HOWEVER. I believe that these rewrites are limited to what is REALISTIC. I believe that each COE route is a different pseudo-universe as described in Mutei's document. The minor changes build up to a butterfly effect! It's like using save files to change your actions! to reset to try to save everyone! We still follow the world's definitions, but are changing the outcome using information we've gained!

The above screenshots... The line about playthings makes me think that seo is aware of the Source code. We the player are a level above the characters, looking into their little fictional world. I think seodore wants to 'end the game'. Make it so the player CAN'T keep looping things and playing over and over. Seo is right, from his perspective people AREN'T playthings. but to us? the player? These are FICTIONAL characters in a FICTIONAL world and seodore is RESISTING that. he wants the story to END.

I believe Sanemitsu and Atou both have the power to do this as well (Harada factor). I touched on this in the other COE post but I swear to god it makes sense. Atou SPECIFICALLY acknowledges that the scenario Hatsutori expected has been REWRITTEN (again calling back to the WRITER themes). Sanemitsu... i will write him his own analysis post bc i love him

ATOU SPECIFICALLY CALLS OUT THE META ASPECT BY ACKNOWLEDGING THIS WHOLE THING AS A 'FINALE OF A PLAY'. HE HAS HIMSELF HAS DONE THE BEST HE CAN. ITS META FICTION. ITS LITERALLY META. ATOU IS REMINDING US THAT THIS IS INDEED A GAME AND IS FICTION which is DOUBLE interesting bc HE KNOWS!!! ATOU KNOWS AND HE DOESNT AT THE SAME TIME!!

anyways i cannot wait to see where the story goes! i am sane and normal over this game (lying).