#god nocturne is so artsy and so good wtf

[elendsessor]

nocturne is definitely known for having weak characters which is honestly true. given what the game is going for (with the best way i’ve seen it described being a modern parable) it really had to focus hard on the artistic aspects as opposed to character development. that being said, something i’ve come to appreciate is how it depicts relationships via music and visuals, and i think it’s not given enough credit.

most of the cutscenes has pov shots particularly with the demifiend since he’s who you play as, and i think that adds a lot of context to what’s being shown.

chiaki especially is the best example and i really want to talk about it.

her theme is really soft and nostalgic, and her infamous jean dress is a lot more stand out than the large amount of monochrome fits the cast has. in some ways, that blue can represent sophistication and comfort, and maybe a tiny bit of melancholy.

when she talks about her reason, the models are all pink. that can be chocked up to her being a girl and pink being “girly” but this isn’t entirely the case. first, did you know pink was originally the color associated with men? there seems to be some debate as to why the colors changed around the 1900s, but for the longest time, pink being a symbol of masculinity came from the fact that it was deemed a stronger color while blue is weaker and fragile (here’s a good article breaking it down btw it’s an interesting read). as such, and given her reason is ultimately might makes right, you can definitely see this choice being to show power. you can even go further by saying her outfit is a red herring, making her seem delicate when in reality she’s a bit of a mean girl, to put it lightly. if you want to look at it in a more recent color association way, this is where the pov stuff shines. pink is seen as an innocent or romantic color, further adding to that not everything is as it seems label. the demifiend sees her as innocent, or someone he loves. the latter might also be possible in general since, though it can be deemed non canonical, he does have a crush on her in the drama cd. the blue could be representing the more masculine depiction it has now but also stands out in its own way. the reason of yosuga is a lot like the stereotypical chaos depiction mainline smt became a bit infamous for, but it’s interesting that no chaos route has a female representative. the closest you can argue is nuwa in 5, but the destroy the throne stuff comes from her side chick that isn’t a chick (which is the closest ending to any typical chaos route), and she actually pushes for the worst ending- i mean the true neutral ending. every chaos rep is a man, and the neutral alignment tends to be where the leading lady resides in.

what interests me the most is her ring. it’s best shown in the concept art that this was something that must’ve been important to the symbolism if it never got left out.

roses have many different meanings based on color and general appearance. the saying “every rose has its thorns” rings true for chiaki, but red roses in particular are associated with love and passion. it could be a gift or could be to represent her passionate nature when it came to expressing her reason. not entirely sure, but it’s interesting.

something i also noticed is that her outfit slightly changed once she goes genocide mode. it’s a bit more purple, which can represent royalty and luxury, but the juxtaposition offered by the rose ring which she just so happens to hold onto could have this loop back around to rose symbolism. lavender roses symbolize mystical love and enchantment.

baal avatar is also interesting in her own right, as white is sparingly used.

takao is shown wearing white throughout the entire game which, while it can represent purity, seems to better represent one of its other meanings—vulnerability. she’s not at all innocent, being the one who knowingly helped start the conception and admits to hating the old world to a degree, and she’s the only human in the game that never truly gains power. her sponsor can’t save her, she can’t fight, hikawa always ends up harming her… she’s pretty much the damsel in distress who can’t ever truly be saved. old man luci wears white, though this may be to juxtapose his former status as an angel before being cast out of heaven or the fact that he thinks waging war against god can lead to a better universe, thus seeing his intentions as “pure.”

baal isn’t like this. chiaki gets her after murdering nearly every manikin, yes, but she’s strangely beautiful. all the other demonic sponsors are pretty grotesque. noah is a mistake and ahriman is a giant tentacle monster that’s literally an evil spirit. in fact, the baal in nocturne isn’t like how we usually see them in the series, as not only is he usually a man but is often power hungry. you can say this is the same for baal avatar, however, not only is baal an important god responsible for many important parts of nature and is highly respected, but the “avatar” label attached has special meaning in the series, with the race usually meaning “holy beast,” being aligned with law, and most importantly being the physical avatar of a god. unlike other smt games, the angels actually are for the reason of yosuga, and given how one of yosuga’s selling points is flushing out “impurities” and “wasted space,” it makes sense. that’s what the angels are trying to do in most of the games, that’s what law normally is, and chiaki vouches for it heavily.

to her, this baal is what fits best. she has become a beautiful, pure being.

and how you encounter her in the tower of kagutsuchi is the most unique. she’s not tucked away in some cramped room in a massive form—baal’s still pretty big but is more like a much taller person than a huge ol’ god—she’s out in the open. she doesn’t fully antagonize you especially not when you side with her reason. she’s also the one demonic sponsor you always fight. become an agent of yosuga? you fight her for dominance. go for the ending where kagutsuchi kicks you out? this is the final boss. she doesn’t get the same rocking boss theme all the others have—hers starts with the reason battle theme. her encounter is not normal. in some ways, it’s framed as tragic. some doomed fate where she’ll always end up dying by the demifiend’s hands.

she’s also the “nicest” out of all of hitoshura’s friends. takao is responsible for the end of the world, isamu’s a narcissistic dick, and yet when she first sees you and even when you disagree with her, she’s respectful. relieved you’re at least alive.

and if we’re going for the pov angle, she’s still seen in bright, serene places. she’s meant to be beautiful despite all the killing and the messed up philosophy talk.

she was his friend. she did care for him. despite it all, he thought of her to be pure and beautiful. despite how much he cared, he was the one to kill her, and i think that’s wonderfully depicted.