#LandLust episode 01

[zephyrthejester]

Boy oh boy. It’s that delightful time again... Time to start a new liveblog, and it’s Land of the Lustrous! Why this show? I wanted something really short to wind down from Code Geass, and it’s one of the most requested shows I’ve gotten on tumblr and my discord!

As is tradition, I will list everything I know about this show before starting.

1: Absolutely nothing! ...Is what I would like to say. Unfortunately, after I announced I would be liveblogging this show yesterday, someone in my discord made the mistake of failing to swap to a spoiler-discussion channel before exclaiming that this was yet another show that featured "rock people." Apparently, they tried to swap but miss-clicked. A totally understandable mistake; I've accidentally sent messages to the wrong place, myself.

It is a bit disappointing to have been spoiled on that, because my blog's history has an... unique... relationship with shows about rock people. Steven Universe, Fullmetal Alchemist... But alas, now I can only wonder at what my dawning realization of what this show was about would be like. Thankfully, overall, the spoiler is itself no big deal at all. It's the barest hint of the premise. I have no idea what the genre, tone or the themes are! I don’t even know what it freakin’ looks like.

2: I didn't give the name of the show much thought, though now that I know there are rock people, I guess it's pretty literal. Land of the Lustrous... I demand to see really shiny people! I do wonder-- is it gonna work off of SU/FMA rules where the rock is the person and the body around it is a construct, or are we gonna get straight up rock golems? Perhaps something else? Are rock people all there are, or are there humans and/or other species? Heck maybe “rock people” is more metaphorical than anything...

3: It's the very first anime made by Studio Orange. That name is a delightful coincidence, considering that I'm coming hot off of Code Geass, which featured a particularly notorious Orange...

Oh, yes, and the version I'm watching is fan subbed. No telling how reliable it will be, so I guess we'll just have to find out later.

Time to dive in! Let's go!

[zephyrthejester]

LUNARIAN Sunspots? Wh-- but-- Lunar? Sunspots? What a really weird combination! Huh... Now I’m wondering if there was more significance towards the first shot of the show being of two moons than I thought.

Oh yeah, and between Phos’ full name and Adamant, I am really certain Morga is Morganite now. Cool.

It is inevitable that this show will introduce a character who shares a name with an important Steven Universe character, and when that day comes, I will make many jokes and also get myself confused.

Why... Why does this show get to be 3D and also really pretty... When Berserk got one of the worst adaptations ever? *sobs violently*

This show is like if Steven Universe had a baby with RWBY and Madoka Magica. Boy howdy.

[zephyrthejester]

Oh boy. That... Doesn’t look good. Morga slicing apart its head only just revealed some new weapons the enemy had in store... Arrows, with arrowheads made of gemstones. Gemstones from “Heliodor’s capture.”

That’s, uh. Like... Heliodorite? As in the gemstones Heliodorite? And boy, the way they only said Heliodor is strikingly similar to how they all shorten each other’s names.

So. There was a student named Heliodor who was captured... And... Presumably... turned into these weapons, which are now being used to attack other students.

Yeah, alright, we got some body horror and high-as-fuck stakes, alright.

Morga and Goshe are in over their heads, but thankfully, Adamant is well on his way. And, thank god, he’s explaining stuff.

The enemies come from the moon to harvest them as jewelry. Wow, well, they are really pretty, so I can see why! Furthermore, there are precisely 28 “of us.” 28 rock people! That’s such a tiny number!

And I have a feeling it’s gonna go lower over time. Aw man.

Each individual has their strengths, and perform various tasks suited to those strengths in order to help each other. And Phos... Well, Adamant was pretty blunt in saying Phos wasn’t fit for any job. Ouch. Brutal.

[zephyrthejester]

CINNA---

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

You have to be shitting me

Cinnabar. As in... Cinnabar. Like my shitty SU Gemsona, Cinnabar?

This fucking show..... Oh my god.

Aww! Phos was really shy about the idea of going to speak to Cinnabar. Saying that she’s never spoken to him before! You know, that seems really silly, considering that this is a community of merely 28 people bonded by the fact that they’re dependent upon each other for survival. How could that be? Weird.

Regardless, Phos is choosing everything BUT approaching Cinnabar (whhyyyyyyy just lemme see him dammit!), and is asking plenty of other people... Pretty much all of them keep saying to go hurry up and speak to Cinnabar.

YES PLEASE, GO DO IT. CINNABAAAAAR

[zephyrthejester]

...........

.............................................

Fucking RIP.

Welp. That’s what you get for being cocky in this world.

!!!!!!!! IS THAT GOSHE’S LEG!? Dude, look at that! It’s a skin colored leg-shaped chunk and the insides are white and gemmy like her hair was! Oh, wow. These people really are gemstones, inside and out. Jeeze.

These beings from the moon... Well, this being specifically... They really do seem like Gods. And Gods absolutely would be petty enough to wear pretty earth-dwellers as jewelry. This set up is unique, but so simple, and tied so well to simple, familiar folklore.

26 remain.

[zephyrthejester]

Oh.

“At least on the Moon they might make use of me.”

God dammit Cinnabar STOP BEING SO SAD, WHY’D YOU HAVE TO BE SUICIDAL TOO, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Phos you declare yourself Cinnabar’s friend this instant, young rock! Become their freaking reason for living already! Shoo! Hurry! Git! DO IT ALREADY, NO MORE SAD ROCKS OKAY

I’ve known this character’s existence for like half an episode and my heart already aches for them. God damn.

So you’re telling me... On top of all the other hardships that’s been established... Cinnabar’s been having to deal with not even being worth the Lunarian’s time. And the MOMENT the second-worst Gem shows up, they’re there in an instant...

Ah. Sad rock people. I am in my natural element right now.

[zephyrthejester]

You know Cinnabar’s gonna be a super important character because their hair is the most detailed so far.

And I find it hilarious that even they know exactly how useless Phos is. Fantastic! Actually, this has me wondering how old all the characters are. How long has this Lunarian situation been going on? And for that matter, where do the gems come from? How were they made or born? Can more be made or born? Or maybe they’re “found,” dug up out of the ground like a gem usually is. And heck, what about the rest of the world? I don’t know if Adamant saying there were 28 of them referred to in total, or just in this school region... Are there Gem civilizations elsewhere on the planet?

Are these questions even going to be relevant to the show’s story...?

I love when shows make me ask questions like this. For now, I should probably stop talking and enjoy the fight scene.

....Huh.

What with Cinnabar’s dynamic entrance being so badass, I couldn’t have expected that they’d immediately have a panic attack and start vomiting uncontrollably. It’s, uh, endearing, at least! They started freaking out because they had already killed a portion of the plantlife around them, and started chanting to themselves that they really, really, really did not want to fight.

Alright, so we have the same Lunarian party that handily defeated the school’s best fighter, and the only two Gems here are both laying on the ground, one super soft and has never fought before, the other too stunned and self-hating to do anything.

Dude. What if they both get kidnapped and the rest of the show is Phos and Cinnabar’s Adventures on the Moon™. That’d be wild.

[zephyrthejester]

Oohhh! Ooh! Ooh! Is this show gonna be like an anthology? A collection of short stories? Gonna swap to a whole bunch of different characters? That’s the impression this cut to black with Phos’ name is giving me. Like the show is saying... “This is Phos’ chapter.”

I like her already, too. She’s a confident underdog that hasn’t been given a chance to shine... lustrously... UNTIL NOW!

Oh hey! We get to see Morga and Goshe fight the “sunspot!”

Now, they say sunspot, but it looks more like a hole in reality, to me.

An... Oddly symmetrical hole in reality.

The two of them are both wielding black katanas, so I guess each individual person doesn’t have a unique weapon.

Huh.

A giant goddess-looking lady holding a bowl came out of the sunspot, accompanied by a merry troupe of dancers and instrument players.

I can’t say I expected that. So this thing is supposed to be a big bad monster threat? It looks so... divine. I’m getting massive Madoka Magica vibes from this.

THIS SHOW IS SO PRETTY, AAAAAAAHHH

[zephyrthejester]

BEST GEM DETECTED.

Nice to meet you, Dia! As in Diamond, surely. We saw this person and their very distinctive rainbow hair back at the start of the episode. And... If this is Diamond, then that would mean their hardness is the most extreme of the lot, right? IIRC, Diamonds are a 9 on the Mohs scale (Meanwhile, Morga is a 7!).

...Oh, they kinda just appeared to tell Phos that they’re glad they’re well, and to also be careful. Then Dia left. A Gem of few words...? They seem to be rather nice, though. This character is likely going to be important later.

.......I think Phos may have detected the biggest problem of being asked to write an encyclopedia on flora and fauna.

They don’t know jack shit ‘bout nothin’! What’re they supposed to write!? “This plant has a big bulb and lotsa roots! It probably sucks up nutrients from the earth like other plants! Yeah!”

Aight yes Adamant 100% gave them this job to shut them up, definitely

[zephyrthejester]

!!!! WE GOT NARUTO RUNNING, I REPEAT, NARUTO RUNNING SPOTTED, THIS IS NOT A DRILL

PLEASE CALMLY MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE NEAREST SHELTER.

Also uh, god damn, this is freaking gorgeous. I’m pretty sure this shot, which began low in the grass and slowly panned up to these three running around, was entirely 3D. And it was gorgeous.

These are... More people wearing the same clothes as that redhead we saw in the cave! I think. Very difficult to tell at a distance. So... It’s a... Uniform?

Oh, wow.

This show is stunningly beautiful and at this point I think it’s entirely... 3D? Wait. Oh my god was that cave scene 3D

I didn’t even freaking notice. What.

Anyway! Plot! The group running through the field found this lady sleeping in the grass, and told her that “Sensei” has summoned her. Alright... Either that’s “Sensei” as in “school teacher” or it’s “Sensei” as in “kung fu.” I am entirely unsure which it is, and that’s nice.

This person here, with the glorious hair that’s like glass, is named Phos. Might be short for something. I am 99.99% sure she is the main character, because I was given a precise color pallette to shoot for in designing my current avatar, and this color matches her exactly. So cool!

[zephyrthejester]

Well, I’m five seconds in and I already like this. We got this girl sittin’ in some sea-side cave, lookin’ all sad, wearing what... appears to be a black formal suit with a tie? Yet also has exposed legs and sleeves? And also her hair looks really funky, what with the coloring.

There are weird floating globules of liquid all around here, and there are two colorful full moons hanging in the sky outside. Sooo... Fantasy show?! Or is this just a surreal dream?

Yes. I am very intrigued. What the hell is this?

Oh, this is time for work, apparently. So was this person on break and just chilling? Hmm... No, this seems more like them trying to psyche themselves up before begrudgingly going to do something that has to be done, but they don’t necessarily want to do. Or, alternatively, they just have a really sad private life and was thinking about that.

There’s also the possibility I am severely over-thinking this, that “work” wasn’t literal, and that I should just shut up and keep watching.

[zephyrthejester]

Wait. Wait, wait,

Cinnabar... Which is a red gemstone in real life... Patrols the shore... at night?

Wait, was that person we saw at the very start of the show Cinnabar!!? It would have to be, wouldn’t it? The descriptions match!

I could have sworn that was a girl, but oh well-- CINNABAR IS A THING AND ALSO PROBABLY AN IMPORTANT CHARACTER EVEN, HOLY SHIT

Oh, wow, and then some really interesting stuff was brought up. Apparently, everyone is dependant on sunlight as their energy source, and they can’t even function at night. Cinnabar is different, however.

Whoa... Lunarian Sunspots... and they feed off of sunlight... And the attackers live on the moon... This is all so tightly interwoven! But there are still some specifics I’m missing. Like, why don’t the enemies launch an attack during the night, when the moon is nearer and their targets can’t function well?

Yep, that was Cinnabar, alright. And the liquidy globules floating around him, described as silvery poison (Mercury?), can absorb the moonlight well enough to keep him charged up and capable.

......I’m pretty sure Cinnabar is a woman, but yet, these fansubs are referring to him with male pronouns... Oh well, I’ll just go with the flow and call him a he.

Cinnabar’s endless silvery poison, huh. Sounds like he might be a loner... and not by choice. Huh...

[zephyrthejester]

Ohh... I see. Phos wasn’t actually coming along with Morga and Goshe. Makes sense, the Sensei wanted to see her, and judging by his appearance, the Sensei isn’t someone you just keep waiting.

His name is Adamant, apparently. Which is based on Adamantite, I’m sure.

What a horrendously cruel fate. In a world filled with incredible hair, he ended up bald... Or was... always bald, maybe? Either way, I weep for him.

Oooh. Wow. Adamant lightly blew some air to get that seed off that was stuck to Phos’ hair, and the sheer force if it made her bow backwards in surprise. Alright. Sensei (and the rock people in general) have super powers. Noted.

.......Phosphophyllite. Yes. That is the last time I am ever typing that name. Phos it freaking is!

Why couldn’t it be Phophy. That’s so much more fun.

[zephyrthejester]

The opening is super chill so far. I wonder what Phos being underwater is supposed to mean... I was also gonna ask why they had a bandage around their leg, but then I realized that was another arm.

Hmm... they’re kind of in a fetal position right now, huh? Combined with how their expression changed from simple and happy to mildly concerned and the fact that they’re submerged in liquid, I wonder if this is a metaphor for Phos being “born,” by becoming more aware of the world around them.. That’s the job they were assigned to do, after all. I’m probably reaching.

THIS IS SO PRETTY, AAAAGH!

Pretty as it may be, it’s also really surreal. Lookit all these gem shards flying everywhere.

Could you imagine the same OP but instead it’s humans and the gem shards are various internal organs. Because that’s literally what this is.

[zephyrthejester]

HaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH.

Well, this was hilarious. Cinnabar’s attack made them fall off the cliff, Phos leapt forward, pressing themself into the mercury, to try and catch them... And they did... But then both their arms snapped off from the weight.

Then Cinnabar walked up from behind like the fall was no big deal.

Then their own arm snapped off when she helped Phos not fall over because, as it turns out, Cinnabar is the weakest of everyone! A Mohs hardness of merely 2! Two!

That’s not much harder than freakin’ chalk, man.

With every development, Cinnabar becomes even more fascinating... What sort of person are they, clearly molded by the fate they must endure? Will they be angered by Phos’ reason for seeking them out? Or thankful?

I wondered what would come next. I suppose it’s for the best that Phos got immediate treatment from Rutile. So... Although Phos’ memories seem to be intact, the act of chipping off the mercury seems to have a lasting, permanent impact. Rutile took away some tiny, tiny gem shards, kept bundled in a piece of paper, as they finished up. So from now on, Phos’ body is... going to be incomplete. I’m sure the exposed “flesh” is gonna be patched up neat and tidy, but that won’t change the fact that there’s less to them now.

Seeing this first hand, it’s a lot more understandable why Cinnabar is a loner. Speaking of, they’re nowhere to be seen!

[zephyrthejester]

Whew, this ED is a trip. Lots of surreal flashes of mercury drowning a flower, gem shards falling from the sky, and stuff... Yeesh, depressing, much?

I really like this shot, though! It was first just some blue and red lights reflecting off a glob of mercury, but then the mercury started swirling and the light turned into hands, reaching out for each other. That’s really cool.

The shot of the shadows lengthening steadily on the beach was pretty great. A clear reference to how Cinnabar spends each day waiting and waiting to be taken... Then, the ED ends with Phos approaching Cinnabar from behind, the ground around them illuminated. Nice that this sad and depressing ED ends on a hopeful, cheery note.

Aight, I think that’s all for today then! So see you next time!