#does vivinos like happiness??

[nacrelysis]

"may mizi and hyuna live please thanks" i revise my statement to avoid delusion. @tubercloset pointed out to me that by this point a lot of the main cast has sacrificed their life/risked their life to save mizi. i need to figure out a way to articulate the details of this but i think mizi represents hope to sua, and hyuna, and till.

and hope is something so scarce in anakt garden, something so radiant but so unreachable that it is your god, your universe. and if you spent your entire life in the darkness, would you not give it - would you not go all-in - to know what it means to be in the light?

and so,

imagine hyuna - luka face-off next round as hyuna puts herself on the line so that mizi may survive, just as till put his life on the line to bring back mizi's radiance, just as sua gave her life to save mizi. because i'm sure that to them - somehow, someway - she is their hope.

their god. their universe.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

you should watch alien stage 😁 it’s a really wholesome and heartwarming web series on YouTube by VIVINOS. Nothing bad happens! And I think that you would like it!

So before I checked out Alien Stage, I asked an irl about it to get a feel for the series. They jokingly described Alien Stage to me as "Hunger Games with doomed yuri and yaoi plus some toxic het on the side", and after catching up with the playlist of hits... yeah, that's pretty accurate. I'm so invested in this now 🤡

I have Ruler of My Heart stuck in my head, specifically this English cover of it! To probably no one's surprise, I'm really gravitating to Luka... WHAT CAN I SAY, I LOVE ANGELIC LOOKING CHARACTERS WITH PRINCELY AND CHARISMATIC PERSONAS THAT ARE ACTUALLY SO MANIPULATIVE AND SCUMMY. AFSLFAYOEFIYFAEEAF; AND HOW CAN I NOT ADORE A GUY THAT PULLS THSI KINDA FACE:

I think part of his charm is that contrast between how he's seen as a "prince" by his fans when he's anything but. The artists outdid themselves with the MV; it perfectly conveys how truly terrible Luka is. I was so uncomfortable watching the video play out. The way he progressively creeps closer and keeps invading Mizi's personal space, taunting her, imitating her dead bestie/crush, putting his hands all over her, AND THAT GROSS WHISTLE HE DOES IN THE BEGINNING???? That made my skin CRAWL. Luka is for real so awful and I love that for him-- MIZI WAS RIGHT TO SWING AT HIM, IT WAS CATHARTIC 💀

I wanna give big props to Mizi's facial expressions too... They're so despair-filled and delicious, even when it's just her widened eyes repeating on the screen. The animation specifically for the line "I don't believe you're a liar" is top tier 👌 It's nothing fancy, but it conveys just how distressed Mizi is and how that's impacting her ability to sing. The way she gulps is so punchy and visceral. THE HATE IN MIZI'S EYES AS SHE'S RESTRAINED FROM COMING AT HIM AGAIN???? Good stuff. The twist at the end where the stage gets smoke bombed (?) and Mizi is rescued by the rebellion was great too. It robs Luka of the satisfaction of seeing his rival gunned down and him being declared as the victor. (P.S. I thought Hyuna was Jamil when I first saw her design; this is proof that Jamil has cool onee-san energy/j) Super looking forward to seeing Luka square off against Till, who is another favorite of mine. The eyebags— Till the End is probably my second favorite song so far; it's so intense in the close-up shots of Till singing his heart out to the audience. (Poor Mob-kun though, bro's getting DESTROYED out here...) I admire Till's fighting spirit but at the same time I feel so bad every time he's subdued 💦 Whereas I want Luka to get knocked down a peg, I want Till to find happiness and safety...

qweliboqeuvqied Anyway, that's my current brain rot 😊

[ryanthel0ser]

Alien Stage is about love. Wiege solidifies that.

It's about the importance of that human connection of love. There tends to be a focus on the romantic love but when you step back and look at the series, Vivinos and Qmeng look beyond just romance. There is a spotlight on companionship. On how love manifests itself in other just as beautiful and just as important ways.

Weige shows us Luka gaining his first human connections with Hyuna and Hyunwoo, it shows us Hyuna gaining a family with the resistance, it shows us the Anakt Garden kids working and playing together, it shows us that mother feeding her children, it shows us those kids drawing on the glass between them, it shows us Mizi, Sua, Till, and Ivan spending time with each other. These are all examples of human connection, the love shared between each other that we take for granted.

What we seek out inherently, something displayed through the way Luka is alone after Hyuna escapes. The way his room has posters of her everywhere, how he stares at one and kisses it, he craves that connection to come back. And when he does see her again, he's the most human we've ever seen him be. His smile is genuine, there's color in his face, his heart monitor is red. He walks towards her completely ignoring the gun to his head because that connection is right there.

Because to love is to be human.

We're shown another world. One where the characters aren't in the Alien Stage, where they're free and happy. While they aren't with each other, except Luka and Hyuna, in these scenes they aren't alone either. Sua is laughing with a friend, a picture of someone on her phone case. You can see someone in the background as Mizi is smiling like she's doing an activity with others. Someone is in the foreground as Till draws, implying he's in an art class with others. Someone walks up to Ivan as he's reading a love note. Hyunwoo is riding a bike with another kid. Someone is taking pictures of two little figures together. Because even if you're not in a situation where a human connection is all you have, we still need it. We still want it. Its importance does not lessen.

And we carry those connections, that love with us even after someone is gone. Hyuna cries for Hyunwoo, she thinks about him and Luka even as she's with her family in the resistance because she still carries that love for them with her. Mizi weeps as she holds Till and remembers Sua because she still carries that love for them with her. It's something so deeply ingrained within us, so natural that we can never part with it. Because it makes us human.

The song itself is composed like a waltz, but the lyrics and the name tell you what it really is. It's a lullaby. In a story reliant on music to add even more detail to what it's presenting to its audience, the video most centered on love and human connection has a lullaby. One of the first pieces of music you hear after you're born. A piece of music often associated with the first human connection anyone has. One of the first times music is an expression of love. A mother singing to her child.

[muchanmocha]

Mizi and Sua's is the clearest of the three in that the crayon drawings depict Sua shielding Mizi from the jagged, ugly things that might disturb their happiness.

Ivan and Till's is interesting because there's an easy correlation of

jellyfish -> Mizi (obvious)

beta fish -> Sua (small and delicate)

large fish -> Ivan (not an anglerfish to my disappointment - that stroke is part of the tree behind the fish, size could reference how Ivan started outstripping Till in physical growth)

I say this is interesting because no matter how you spin it, there's only 3 fish with features rather than 4. In this interpretation Till is the one left out and this places him in a position of being the observer ...which is traditionally Ivan's role. Very cool. (Also I personally am biased towards this interpretation bc as an artist I don't usually include myself either haha.)

Hyun Woo, Luka, and Hyuna's is the one that gives me the most pause. Someone commented that the colors reflect who's drawing on the images and honestly? Seems pretty solid. Which brings up the question: Why did Luka scribble his own face out?

The first possibility is that this is the first hint of hidden or repressed feelings about the events of Anakt Garden. Up until now there seems to have been no signs of Luka holding any guilt, remorse, or shame about Hyun Woo's incident and he feels overall unapologetic. It could be that it's all been well-suppressed and he's been running away from his past just as much as Hyuna has been.

The other possibility is that it reflects his self-hatred. We've already had many cues towards this, the most recent of which is the "Disgust" post.

The answer could be as simple as that and I can leave it here. But what actually drew my attention is wondering about what's under the scribble.

I feel like in all three, everyone is portrayed at their most joyful and at the most peace (even for Ivan and Till's, Vivinos has confirmed Till has precious memories involving Ivan and this might be one of them).

So what does that look like for Luka, the only one we can't see? Does he give a true smile under there? Is it one that can't be allowed to exist, hence his urge to erase it?

Or is he scribbled out because he doesn't "belong" there?

-

You ever write a post and then realize things in the middle of it? Yeah. Yeah that's this.

While Hyun Woo is crossed out

2 strokes arc down like they're both protecting and constricting Hyuna — reflecting both Luka's desire to protect her but also to "keep" her.

Smth smth control smth smth stiffling smth smth yada yada you get the gist haha

[numberoneredriotfan]

Just wanted to put some of my favorite shots from Wiege here since I'm so not normal

THIS IS CANON THEY GOT MARRIED AND LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER AND HYUNA WAS ALIVE YUP THAT IS TOTALLY WHAT HAPPENED MM NO DOOMED TOXIC HETERO IN THIS HOUSEHOLD.

Okay but seriously this is such a beautiful frame and the implication that they get to live happily in another life... ough... my heart...

Sua...

SUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

I wonder if this implies that originally Mizi was supposed to wear the white dress and Sua was supposed to wear the black one. It would make sense, since white feels more like a Mizi color than it does Sua and vice Vera. But that's just me speculating. Anyway, Mizisua crumbs my beloved <3

I love this frame because it shows the brief moments of happiness the kids experienced in their horrible situation. Or perhaps the childhood bliss and ignorance to what they would face when they grew up. Moments of fleeting happiness that we as the audience know could never last forever. Fuck.

I just thought this frame was silly. Those silly goobers. I miss them so much :')

OUGH HE LOOKS SO HAPPY. Real though if I saw Hyuna I would have the same reaction.

The difference in their expressions here...

Mf quit smiling like that I'm trying to hate you/j

And then... yeah. Also, would like to point out-

His album cover... Vivinos you sick son of a bitch.

Honestly, Wiege might be my favorite music video so far. It was wonderfully made, the animation was just stunning, the song was obviously a banger but the orchestra during that one sequence was just. Incredible. Overall it was amazing and heart wrenching, as expected from Alien stage.

Anyway! Can't wait to see Mizi's crash out!!

[raivenantcravings]

Round 6 Reaction/Analysis

SDFFSDHFLSDHF ROUND 6 FSDHKFDSH ROUND 6 FSDKFSDHFDS ROUND 6

I woke up to twitter analysis saying that Till never even looked at Ivan until his final moments. And I made pre round 6 fanart titled "look at me." Couldn't manifest it. He never looked at him in the end,,,

broo dont look so happy. oh my god you lovesick fool.

reaction and analysis under the cut

First detail I noticed was that are the mics clear because both Ivan and Till are being vulnerable? They have nothing to hide anymore, so they'll show the world their whole being.

Anyways, to my main point,,

My interpretation of the ending was that Ivan was really trying to "cure" Till.

Till opens up with wanting to feel pain, to feel hurt.

"Please, leave me scars"

"Please, hurt me so that not a single drop of me remains"

Which, I realize he's talking to Mizi, but it's a cry for "help" either way.

Ivan's part goes:

"Notice my pain and mend me right now"

Again, he's talking about himself, but I think it could apply to what he does to Till.

So they kiss.

And, I've seen a lot of other people already say this, but I also do feel the kiss was not only meant to be for Ivan to selfishly show his love for Till.

Like bro don't go nonconsensually kissing your crush, what are you doing!?

When the scores came out, Ivan was much lower than Till than I expected. I thought it'd be a Mizi-Sua situation where the scores were close, but Mizi barely edged it out.

But Till almost had 20 points over Ivan.

And I know it's because Till is a rising star. And his new image change would really garner the attention of everyone. But it's not like Ivan is a nobody either. I didn't expect the scores to be so different.

I do think its because Ivan kissed Till. As a final nail in the coffin that guarantees his loss.

Alien Stage is commentary on the idol industry. One of the most prevalent issues in the idol industry is the romantic lives of the idols. Idols are not supposed to be in relationships, at least not outwardly. Their whole image is for the fans. Nothing they do should ruin that public image as an idol.

Much less in a in a queer relationship.

Now I don't believe the universe of Alien Stage cares about LGBTQ+ issues because there's bigger issues surrounding their human pets. But I think that it is an issue that Vivinos is trying to address because they certainly never shy away from queer issues in their other works.

And I feel the idea that idols/pets should not be swayed by their romantic emotions is still prevalent in their society.

So for the audience to see Ivan kiss Till, in one of the most outrageous and public displays possible, further pushes the votes in Till's favor.

And yeah, I also do believe that he kissed Till for him to finally look at him, but I also feel that it was a self-sacrifice too.

And then Ivan violently chokes Till.

Possibly, as another way to give Till votes. Since when Mizi started punching Luka, the audience was outraged at her actions.

Violence is definitely frowned upon on the stage.

More on the choking scene,,

I also saw some people saying that it's because Ivan wanted Till to die with him, which may be part of it. I don't think everything Ivan did was completely selfless.

But

Till accepts it. Earlier when he is at the bar (party? venue? the private show either way), he fights the alien who tries to punch him.

He did show him Mizi's missing image, so he is enraged in this moment, but he does have fight left in him even then.

He doesn't resist when Ivan chokes him just closes his eyes and awaits death. Perhaps if Mizi was already dead, he can just join her in the afterlife since he had no way of knowing she was still alive.

In this way, Ivan is his savior. The one who is finally freeing him from all this pain he felt after losing Mizi. This is his "cure."

And for Ivan, he sorta wants to be a savior to Till. He has freed him on multiple accounts from his shackles. Even helping him run away with him, so they can experience freedom together.

They both get what they want, but,,

Ivan lets go of Till and Till, with an expression that feels like shock, finally looks at Ivan.

Killing him would not give him the freedom that Till needs

that Ivan wants Till to have.

So, like the countless times Till has been chained around his neck, Ivan gives him his chains:

hurting him like he desires.

A scar around his neck.

(Where the scar from his name is)

And mending him,

by taking away the final chain that Ivan could release from Till.

His "cure."

It felt like his final desire was to get Till to snap out of it, to realize that he needs to find true freedom, to not get apathetic at the situation, to keep on going and to live.

He really, truly loves Till even if Till does and never will understand it.

Also final thoughts, is it not strange that Ivan is able to release Till's bindings so easily?

No one else is shown releasing the bindings, so maybe it is just as easy as a press of the button. Yet, I don't feel like it's just poorly designed if that's the case. Because you literally have a person like Ivan releasing a dangerous human like Till. Shouldn't a cautious society like the world of Alien Stage made sure it wouldn't be super easy to get out of.

If there is more to it, I wonder if that'll be a plot point later on. With Ivan leaving behind the secret to getting out of the bindings for Till. So, when a character maybe Till or even Hyuna or Mizi have been captured, they're able to escape since they know how to remove them.

Maybe, I'm just being delulu

And final final thoughts, the kiss was great and definitely made me almost scream. But the way Ivan nuzzled Till has got me acting up.

Like, it's just so soft and sweet and not a big show of it like when Ivan kisses Till on stage.

It feels so intimate, so personal, so full of love.

I just, I just can't. They'll be the death of me.

[oh-no-its-bird]

I FUCKING FORGOT THE NEW ALIEN STAGE CAME OUT TODAY OH GOD OH FUCK I SAW IT COME UP IN RECCOMENDED AND HAD A FULL BODY REACTION TO IT PLEASEPLEAS PELSAE GO WATCH IT IM GOING TO FUCKING CRY IM GOING TO FUCKING THROW UP IM GONNA .

it was so fucking beautiful actually. I did not expect the bright spots of it, though maybe I should have. Vivinos has always been such a master of balancing fluff in a way that makes it hurt. And then the end . just. fuck. fuck. Oh my god. Fuck.

Spoilers below the cut, I am feeling many things and thinking many thoughts, so let's dissect this together:

I was so entranced by the beautiful visuals I straight up forgot to put captions on to get the lyrics for my first watch. But when it opened to Luka smiling so fucking genuinely, I almost gasped

The way he smiles when he first sees her is CRAZY, I am obsessed with it. Only pausing when a literal gun is held to his head, and even then, not for long

And then he grows so much more almost sweet and fond when she so blatantly ignores him. I felt like he was saying, "yeah, that's my Hyuna."

So like. Super strong opening to us seeing Luka killing off what I've seen others claim are his clones, presumably to make sure he can't be easily killed and replaced

I especially like this post by @kitespark talking about this bit and how Luka may have then ended up killing Hyuna's brother bc they looked so similar, and he assumed they were clones

LUKA'S HANDS !!! AS A KID !!! DID NOT HAVE PURPLE FINGERTIPS!!! We also see his hands when he's older, and he also does not have purple fingertips then! Does this mean he got them later in life, after so many experiments? That's what I'm not placing my bets on

The music itself was. Beautiful. As always, obviously, but especially so.

The slow, gentle singing that can be seen as both darkly comforting or sweetly assuring, the almost bell like chimes in the background, I loved it.

When it first shifted to Luka's voice, singing as Hyuna lay on the ground, I just about screamed. Their voices sound so pretty next to each other, I really like hearing them in contrast

Getting to see all these frames of Hyuna just surrounded by people in the resistance was so nice, actually.

I thought it was so well done, how we get to see her gradually get happier, recovering from her past.

Starting with a scene of her alone, drinking, before someone steps in (presumably to bring her comfort in company) before we start to see clips of her, each one with her a little bit happier, and each one with the lighting just a bit brighter, till we finally see her give a fully animated smile, even as we can see the silhouettes of those in the garden inside of her

She learned to smile !! Even through her grief!! She smiled even though she still kept them in her mind and heart!!!

AND THEN LUKA?? HAVING A (WANTED(?)) POSTER??? OF HYUNA ?? IN HIS ROOM??? AND HIM GIVING IT THE WORLDS JERKIEST MOST AWKWARD LITTLE KISS AFTER STARING AT IT FOR AN AWKWARD AMOUNT OF TIME, OH MY HEART !!!

The kiss is so sudden and jerky and awkward and it kind of looks like it hurt, honestly. Like, at first I wondered if it even was a kiss, but idk what else it would even be. Luka misses his girlfriend yall

There's actually so much to dissect of these short frames, tbh. Is this his room, where he is kept on a concerning amount of medical equipment, or is it just a hospital room he's been in long enough to be allowed to put things up on the wall?

And then we get to just. The happiness of the video. Which, by the way, kicked me in the fucking gut and stole all my lunch money. Like, holy shit you guys, what the actual fuck.

There's so much happening here, but in general I've seen two camps:

a) we are seeing glimpses of the actor au, where they are getting ready and into their roles and having silly fluffy fun times

and b, which is what I originally thought) We are seeing them getting ready for their death matches. Preparing costumes for the stage, hoping for the best. And just the lighter times they've gotten to spend together, in the garden

I'd like to believe it's both, tbh. That at first, we're seeing the lighter times they've spent together, getting their costumes ready, singing, running through grass, being kids while they still can.

A few flashes of other people too, in terrible situations but still smiling, showing that there is still joy to be found in this world

And then, a flash of violence-- Mizi, her face splashed with Sua's blood, and the music takes on this crescendo as it shows us this beautiful what if.

Some of the flashes are definitely some sort of modern au, a true what if.

Sua in a school uniform, giggling with a friend on the way to class, Till in art class, Hyunwoo and someone who's presumably his friend riding bikes through a glowing forest, Mizi laughing as she works on something, Hyuna and Luka dancing together on some sort of date (WITH WEDDING RINGS ON !!! WEDDING !! RINGS !!), a phone taking a photo of food better than anything the alien stage contestants have ever gotten to eat before (especially in contrast to the quiet lunch scene only a few images before, which may have been there to contrast it)

Other portions I read as more mis-remembered, 'if only the garden could have been brighter' moments (particularly the one of them cleaning that one aliens teeth, which we saw Till and Mizi terrified of in round 3) but otherwise I think can be seen as just more beautiful moments.

Running around, playing, having fun, laughing

At some point, towards the middle, I had an abstract thought that it was appropriate, to be posted on valentines day. For all that parts of it felt like a love letter to life. Seeing them all so happy, not only with each other but just being. Doing things they loved, being happy, living

I stg, I started tearing up. I love how well animated and bright this section was, you can tell they really said "guys we have to make this shit COUNT" and spared no expense. Everyone say thank you vivinos and qmeng !!

And then, of course, we hard cut back to reality. A quick glimpse of some remembered Luka angst, and we are on stage with Mizi again. Our last glimpse of happiness being Sua's smile.

What the fuck !!!

Ok so just. Everything about the next bit is so good to me.

Luka having eyes for literally nothing and no one other than Hyuna, even as a gun is literally held to his head.

The cutting back and forth between him stumbling blindly her way as an adult and as a child was so good. He has never had eyes for anyone other than her, and it shows

The way Hyuna runs for him, knowing whats about to happen even as Luka remains blind to everything but her, the way she spins him around to take the shot for him in a hug, which, BY THE WAY, THE FACT THAT LUKA WAS REACHING OUT FOR A HUG. MAKES ME INSANE.

LOOK AT HIM !!!! HE WAS REACHING OUT TO HER !!! HE WAS GOING FOR A HUG !!!! HE SAW HER AND RAN AND LITERALLY THREW HIMSELF INTO HER ARMS HE MISSED HER SO MUCH I DONT KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THIS ACTUALLY !!!!

Also its funny that it was the resistance guy who took the shot, I understand his thought process (Luka probably looked like he was going for his boss lmao) but then he ended up fucking shooting Hyuna instead.

I have to wonder if we'll get to see this guys reaction in the next video, I kind of hope we do. I feel like there's a small chance we might, in some like, corner of the screen we see Dewey grabbing him by his collar to shake him angrily or smthn

It's a small thing also, but I like how we also get to see the guy next to Hyuna react to Luka's blatant idiocy. Like, yeah he's being an idiot, and yeah people are around to see it. Idk, it's small but it just makes it all feel more real to me

^ this guy is all of us watching at home as Luka ignores the gun aimed at his head and runs for hyuna lmao

Also, Luka's hands are now colored in as purple when he's a child here, so that may have just been a coloring error earlier. So throw out what I said about his hands not being purple when he was young into the bin, oops!

So then we're back to seeing more flashes of life, and what we are given is Hyuna's grief, and Hyuna's fear.

A man, presumably some resistance member, dying as they cry and watch him pass. And then Hyuna, in the hospital.

The focus on her leg, and then the abrupt cut to what I think must be the moment that she lost it, then again a cut to the round of alien stage she lost (where she was supposed to have died) and another cut to her crying, scared, makes me think we're seeing a sort of rewind of her joining the resistance

Did she lose her leg in her escape from alien stage maybe? Either way, I like this shift from like, we've seen all these good memories of life, and now we're back to the bleak. Hyuna learned to smile, got to heal, but there were still so many dark moments too

Also: I don't know who this guy is, but he's cute and I want him carnally.

AND THEN JUST THE SHIFT FROM CUTE HYUNA AND LUKA TO HER FUCKING BLEEDING OUT IN HIS FUCKING ARMSMSSSSSS IM GONNA BE FUCKING SICK WHAT THE HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And also Luka's fingers are back to being not purple, so was it a miscolor, or...?

And then. Hyuna's speech. This is one of the very few times we get to hear an alien stage character just,, talk. Off the top of my head, the only time I can remember us getting that is My Clematis, the very first round of alien stage. And that talk was half exposition.

It's so well done, and just. Ag. Ah. A.

I dont even have the words tbh!!!

"I resented you so. I had to keep moving forward in every moment... But you were always my one and only weakness. (choking up) That's why I resented you so. Luka, live with love. Embrace the pain, the frailty, and live and the moments so unbearably shameful. Forgive yourself... Again and again, endlessly. because everything... begins from there.

I DONT EVEN KNOW MAN !!! WHAT THE FUCK !!! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK !!!!

Hyuna admitting that even as she's always resented Luka, he has always been and always remained her weakness, and that is why she continued to resent him so much

Hyuna urging Luka to love. To forgive himself. To feel.

Luka, who we've always seen as untouchable, a man who knows how to play this game-- who has won it before and now plays with his opponents in order to win it again. Just, him tearing up. His mask cracking in the face of Hyuna's words, of her blood on her face (on his hands)

THE FACT THAT IT IS LITERALLY LUKA'S FAULT SHE'S THERE!!!! THAT SHE'S NOW DYING !!!!

Luka has always been blind to everything but Hyuna, and going with some interpretations of how we've seen him do dumb shit just to see Hyuna's face before (specifically when we saw him injure (potentially kill(??)) Hyuna's little brother, then smile up at Hyuna like he was just waiting for her reaction) it is. So fitting that this is how it ends

With Luka, once again blind to everything but the girl who can make him feel something, managing to kill that girl in his blindness

Fucking rip!!

I AM HUFFING COPIUM LIKE ITS PAINT I REFUSE TO BELIEVE HYUNA IS DEAD PLEASEEEE !! YEHA OK SURE HER LIGHT WENT OUT BUT WE WERENT SHOWN THE BODY IT DOESNT COUNT OK IT DOESNT COUNT SHUT THE FUCK UP

AND MEANWHILE MIZI DIDNT EVEN SEE HYUNA GET SHOT BECAUSE SHE'S STILL SOBBING OVER TILL'S CORPSE IN HER ARMS, FUCK

Anyways. Final thoughts.

This alien stage was. Wonderful. Beautiful. It may be my new favorite.

Every second of it was so well done, and I need to applause Vivinos for once again showing off that she knows how to make all of us cry by drawing her characters happy.

What the fuck, man!!

Anyways, I watched most of this without subtitles (and when I did watch with titles, I kept getting distracted by the pretty visuals and couldn't focus) So, I possibly misread/misunderstood a thing or two.

I'm gonna go watch it like 10 more times with subtitles on this time, then maybe realize smthn and feel regret, but, whatever

Go watch alien stage.

[psychette]

MiziTill and IvanTill analysis.

— First, understand Mizi, Till, and Ivan’s character.

Mizi’s guardian must’ve contributed to her naivety as arts of her with her guardian seemed sweeter than Till and Ivan’s interactions with aliens. Till was constantly thrown around and treated like garbage as his guardian ENJOYS TORTURE. Ivan is also treated horrible which contributes to his pessimistic personality compared to Mizi.

Mizi had something Ivan didn’t: Optimism. That’s most likely why Ivan didn’t hate Mizi when it was obvious Till has an infatuation with her. “When she smiled at me, my heart was reborn” which is obvious, Mizi’s brightness attracts people and which is why she’s able to make friends very easily. Ivan knew Till needed that, one of his ways of wanting to make Till as happy as Mizi does is by telling him how horrible Alien Stage is and wanting to run away with him.

I forgot which animatic but it’s shown that Ivan never had a red dot in his pupils until he saw Till. That must’ve been his sign of attraction. This same red dot is seen in Till’s eyes as he runs away with Ivan, he’s happy — until he thinks of Mizi. He remembers Mizi and thinks of what horrible things they’ll do to her if he leaves. The red dot disappears in Till’s eyes.

— Second, Till’s struggle with attachment.

Till clearly struggles with attachment as seen with Ivan, which is confirmed by VIVINOS on her Patreon, saying: “Till has a deep love-hate attachment with Ivan” which is one of the evidences that Till actually struggles so much with how to react when someone shows care for him.

What makes Ivan’s care different from Mizi’s though? Why couldn’t he accept Ivan’s but he could accept Mizi’s?

Ivan was close to him. He was always around him and even if they did fight, they would still hangout. While with Mizi, Till failed to even build a relationship with her. Evidence being Mizi’s intimacy score with Till: “He’s so distant… does he hate me?” And this is because that outside of rebelling, Till writes songs. It’s most likely a coping mechanism for him to vent his feelings. You can see in one of the animations as Till is writing something, Ivan is right next to him. This can be used as a symbol of their closeness. Even if Mizi wasn’t there, Ivan was.

Because of Till’s struggle with healthy attachment, he couldn’t react properly when someone genuinely built a bond with him, but he could with someone who barely hangs out with him.

This is a sign of avoidant attachment. Till’s struggle in how he can show love. After all, how can someone who has never been shown love by his own guardian give love? He was never even taught what actual love is.

— Third, difference between idolization and crushes.

According to VIVINOS on her Patreon she claims that Mizi is a “fantastical figure” to Till. As stated before, they barely interacted as Till was almost always in his own world (rebelling or writing music). Even though Till knows and speaks to Mizi, they don’t even have a bond anywhere close to how Till is with Ivan.

When you don’t build a bond with someone, you only perceive them as a figure. There’s very little to perceive about them when you aren’t close with them. This is how Mizi’s naivety and brightness comes into play, she was everything that Till isn’t. She isn’t a pessimistic, traumatized jerk who hits his own friend (Ivan) just because he gets frustrated with them.

Because of his trauma, he wanted to feel that too. Till put Mizi on a pedestal. This is IDOLIZATION. It’s a way to cope, a form of escapism from his harsh reality.

How can I be so sure it’s that? You can see it in Round 6. Mizi, already going through Round 1, is traumatized. She’s seen the worst. In Till’s flashback, she pictures Mizi in her Anakt Uniform when she was still innocent.

Conclusion: Till does love Ivan, but because of his attachment issues, he didn’t acknowledge that.

[missinconsistent]

Long rant

Seen so many tweets about Till and Mizi, and whether Till really liked her or not based on some leaked statements from Vivinos' patreon. And it's annoying tf out of me because the discourse has so much unaddressed biphobia and misogny.

BIPHOBIA

People trying to twist words as "See, Till's feelings aren't real" when Vivinos said his crush on Mizi was "boyish" and "innocent" is so annoying. Whether his feelings are profound or superficial, a crush is a crush. Why are you so keen on invalidating Till's feelings toward Mizi? Why does it bother you so much that Till has a crush on Mizi when that's always been a big part of his character? Why is it so wrong that Till could be attraction to someone of the opposite gender? Bi and pan people exist.

Mizi could also be bisexual. Idk if it's ever been confirmed by Vivinos if Mizi likes only women, so correct me if I'm wrong. But sometimes I feel like the adamant "Mizi is lesbian so you shouldn't ship her with Till" is sometimes said to further invalidate Till's bisexuality and his interest in Mizi. It's like saying if Mizi is lesbian, then Till's crush is not "real," when that's not how it works even if Mizi does only like women.

I don't ship mizitill, and I do see Till's feelings as someone growing attached to an idol. But idk, I feel like the mizitill hate can come off as biphobic when it's harmless and it kinda makes sense why some would ship the two. The fact that mizitill is assumed to be a "straight/het ship" opposing mizisua or ivantill proves that some of yall don't think queer relationships can exist between people of the opposite gender.

MISOGNY

Another big reason why people want to invalidate Till's crush on Mizi is because it conviniently keeps Mizi out of the way from Till's story. The way some (ivantill) fans are so adamant about sidelining Mizi is so obviously because they do not like Mizi being the protagonist, nor her proximity to Till as if she's "obstacle" in their own interpretated narrative.

Final wasn't just about Till. It was also about Mizi. It wasn't just about Till's trauma revolving around Ivan's death. It wasn't just about Till's feelings towards Mizi. It was also about Mizi wanting to save her one and only remaining friend. It was also about her being happy to see him again just as much as he was to see her, only for that to be taken away. Both were taken away from each other; whether it be as friends, possible lovers, or an idol and her biggest supporter; either way, it was about Mizi just as much as it was about Till (if not more so). So it does reek of misogny when some fans only frame the narrative to be about Till and view Mizi as secondary or being in the way of it.

At the end of the day, if you really only care about Alien Stage fulfilling your favourite characters that you're crossing boundaries, twisting Vivinos' words, and harassing fans for their own interpretation, then please get a grip. You can ship who you like and engage with headcanons and fandom discourse, but please be mindful of what you say and know that Vivino is still a small creator who blew up in popularity suddenly. She has been going above and beyond making this series that is very different from anything she's made before. It's not appropriate to twist HER characters to fit what you want out them when 1) she leaves things open for interpretation; and 2) she has her own plan on the way they're written.

[shakingparadigm]

What if Luka expects Hyuna to come like she did in his round with Mizi and he is plotting something.He has the trust of aliens,the love of the public and no one would suspect him to do something outside the box,far from the image he created of himself.Hyuna made her appearence in round 5 when we didn't expected it. If the round isn't entirely dedicated to Ivan and Till,this may be an option.He may confront Mizi and Hyuna,they may not be able to rescue Ivan and Till and not make it in time. Luka may not appear at all.

(Me overthinking things: OMG Akugetsu will cover Hyuna's song this must mean something | The other me: OMG I can't wait,this song literally suits him!)

(I like the style of your drawings,the way you use colors and the way you phrase things! When something about ALNST comes out I just wait for your updates! I can't imagine what will happen on tumblr when round 6 is out. And then all of us will wait for the next one over again XD)

Till the end.

TILL... the end...

Ok this is the worst joke I could ever make.

Oohh. Luka appearing in ROUND 6 would honestly be insane. I thought about him making an appearance in the short teaser scene before credits, but if he actually confronted anyone himself that would be so interesting. Imagine all 6 of them in the same episode... the same room... no way... the Alien Stage would be real...

Luka attempting to sabotage Mizi and Hyuna is such an intriguing concept. I do think he's figured out that Hyuna will be returning, he grew up with her, after all. He's most likely aware of her penchant for protecting people. He probably expects Mizi to come back for the only friends she has left, too. He couldn't do anything the first time he saw Hyuna after ROUND 5, but he might be more eager to get his hands on her now. If we get our first adult Hyuna and Luka interaction during ROUND 6 I'd actually go insane. as much as I hope for it though, I'm not sure whether or not it will actually happen. ROUND 6 already has a lot going for it. A final confession of love already makes for a heavy episode, but with Till's newly revealed backstory added to the mix? Mizi and Hyuna's attempt at a jailbreak? The whole video would probably need an entire week to be processed and even comprehended, especially if they want to go into extensive detail on each aspect. Still, though, if Luka interfered... if Mizi and Hyuna were unable to save anyone and had to defeatedly return to the rebellion base carrying the weight of their failure, well, I DON'T THINK I'D BE REACHABLE FOR AT LEAST 10 BUSINESS DAYS I'd have to go into hiding in order to cope with that. But who knows! The fun part about VIVINOS videos is that they're always gonna leave you fucked up in one way or another!

AKUGETSU COVERING ALL-IN. TILL COVERING HYUNA'S SONG. I've posted so many times about this day holy shit its finally real. It really does suit him! Do you think AKUGETSU is

1) hinting that Till is joining the rebellion

or

2) giving us the All-In cover as compensation for whatever bad thing is going to happen to Till

(or a secret third thing: he literally just did it for fun and we've just gone insane.)

Ahh thank you so much for enjoying my stuff! I'm so happy, everyone's been really nice to me as of late and I don't know what to doooo hahaha I'm just really glad to share everyone's excitement for ALIEN STAGE :)

You wait for my updates??!! oh no I'm so sorry 😭 I'm quite late at times because I've had some stuff going on (I've barely said anything about the April Fools actor au 😭) but hopefully I'll be free to go absolutely nuts after the release of ROUND 6 tomorrow!! If you're ever in need of someone to scream about ROUND 6 with my inbox is always open!! Thank you for your kind words!!

Can't wait till I get to hear from you again! :)

[vivievienne]

so my predictions for the (probably) last video of alien stage

like now all i can think it's luka-hyuna confrontation by just eyeing each other. "but damn, they should talk?" yeah, but hear me out on this. remember that mizi and hyuna aren't welcome on alien stage? so i think that the security is gonna take mizi first, which leads hyuna to stop thinking about luka and protect her. mizi managed to escape but hyuna didn't, because her wound is only worse. for luka in this scenario, i think he would be too stunned and just taken away from that. like yk guys, he's THIS DIVA 💚 and he can't be killed right after a won competition, right? though i can see that hyuna's looking at him when all he does it's having his head down. not like the guilt hit him now. but seeing hyuna was something else to him (that i and he can't understand and put in words).

as for the song prediction i have two (1st the most possible and 2nd that i would like to see):

Variant 1 — Mizi song

the most possible out off all. i think its gonna be depressing asf but it would illustrate mizi's feeling. i've thought about vibe that connects my clemantis and black sorrow. i think a lot about a ballad tbh. it would fit this the most. also, i think that the bridge might sounds like cure. or at least electric guitar will be used (as reference to till) and as for the ending i think about angelic voice (sua reference) very similar to ruler of my heart vocalisation in the moment where mizi is beating luka. i can't think about ivan's reference though. though, it would be fire.

example of the song that would fit this:

Variant 2 — Hyuna and Luka song

if you wondering why, i must say — i just wanna hear their voices mixed together. they are characters we know almost nothing about (especially hyuna) and (based on the last scene in r7) it would make some sense. and i would love it so muchhh. i wanna feel a pain from their voices. as i said i wouldn't say luka feel guilty but i would say some kind of pain so it would really fit him. i don't wanna hear his perfect voice that aliens hear but more this messed, chaotic one. as for the mv, i think about something that can show their past and at the same time the present (basically like black sorrow one). this is just my wish i would like to see (maybe one day i will 😔)

example of the song cuz i can't describe it with words:

like damn... it would fit them asf. i would be happy to see them in this kind of song and it would fit the final song hard

and why do i think there will be another video? maybe because we have too much unclear informations? but remember, im not vivinos so i don't really know what exactly will happen. though, i wouldn't say that Till will be alive.

so that's all :33

[aventurineswife]

Hey Rinnie! Ahem, can we talk about Wiege's new teaser??

Literally Wiege will be training this week and also on February 14th, Ivan's adoption day.

Vivinos is allergic to happiness (what little there is left actually...)

-⟨ 💤🩵 ⟩

WAIT IVAN GOT ADOPTED ON THAT DAY?! 😭🙏

Also I'm not sure why people are calling it a wiege, like what does it mean? 😭🧍‍♀️

Nah man, I'm still not over with ivantill's death 😔💔 (Vivinos, when I catch you... when I catch you...!)

[weirdcat1213]

tbf I do get vivinos when she says that she wanted to make mizi shine but people focused on ivantill after round 6 but girl YOU HAVE TO GIVE ME MORE

MIZI IS MY FAVORITE CHARACTER IN THE WHOLE THING (ily lesbians who best up men into the ground) AND WHAT SONGS DOES SHE GET??? WHAT OFFICIAL MERCH SHE GETS???? (at least last time I checked official merch it was all ivantill amd im not counting the one at the recent store.)

She has 2 official duets and she barely sings in one of them!!!!! (I'm not counting the 2 anniversary covers but they're pretty good THE GIRL HAS RANGE) Rubyeye has barely sang in canon and ALTHOUGH I DO KNOW WHY (I will not let anyone explain her damn character arc to me) like idk, I would also be upset if proven right about misogyny and all but they did kill the lesbian couple (metaphorically) on the first episode while ivantill had more time/content to go off. No wonders the fans went insane, they had time to ship them.

I just want mizi to be happy and a fucking keychain of her.

But hey, I'm letting vivinos cook. Mizi is gonna make a great comeback in round 7 I just know.

[euxeris]

round 5 was wild (random thoughts)

(obvi spoilers lol, go watch it if you haven't)

I can see how Luka won his previous rounds lol. I was kind of scared that he has some feeling for Mizi but yeah no it's just the performance~~~~ lololol.

but also the dance scene was great, Luka clearly is just putting on that act for the aliens to see and it's doing great. Though it's funny that the aliens actually like seeing that-

Hyuna showing up was oh my god all my attention went to her. Very happy Mizi beat Luka up, she should do it again (Luka is my fave).

I need Luka backstory. Wtf is wrong with him. I need more details vivinos plsplspls

also MIZI MISSING? goddamn. Maybe Hyuna will step in and then Luka will have the rematch? if that's the case idek who would win. Does Luka already know Hyuna or was the dragging away Mizi thing the first time?

once again Luka what in god's name is going on your head I was low-key expecting the "flirty" (gag) performance but that whistle... nvm I can't Mizi go for second round.

anyways very nice, Luka looked hot as hell unfortunately. Would watch again.

[lindevi]

Media Favorites of 2023

Who can't believe that 2023 is nearly over? *raises hand* As the year winds down, this seems like the time to reflect on the things that helped us or brought us joy. The following is a list (not exhaustive) of my favorite apps, books, music, TV, and video games from the last year, including many that I would recommend to others. You can find my list from 2021 here. (I missed compiling this list in 2022, in no small part because I was sampling eastern Germany’s best Christmas Markets all through December.)

Apps

Airalo. My new go-to for international data, but you’ll need an unlocked phone. I was able to save a ton of money by setting up a second e-SIM to access Japanese mobile data networks. (It cost $10 for 10GB of data across 30 days, which was plenty for the week I spent there, and much cheaper compared to my phone plan’s offerings.) I wish I’d heard of this before my trips to England and Europe this year, but I was able to try it out in Japan successfully. I’ll definitely be making use of this app when traveling in the future. The only downside is that I can’t have both e-sims active, so I had to restart my phone in order to check my text messages. Luckily, most communication is done over apps these days instead of SMS, so I wasn’t missing much.

​Reverso. This app pulled more than its weight for me while I was traveling abroad this summer. The thing I liked most about it is how it pulls up example sentences so you can help see the context and usage of a given word. It also saves your searches for you, so if you were a more disciplined language student than me, you could write down any new vocabulary in a notebook to study later. Also, it’s free and works fairly well offline, and it’s able to handle multiple languages in the same app.

Vivino. When in France, drink as the French do, I suppose. But when you’re at the supermarket trying to decide between the many, many wines available for less than 10€, this app helps to narrow down the field. Scanning the label gives you the user score for that vintage, plus a personalized rating for how it compares to previous wines you’ve enjoyed. By rating the wines I tried, I was able to get a better sense of my preferred styles and remember which labels to avoid in the future. It was also excellent to have on hand when we went to Bordeaux and sampled various Grand Crus. The app helped me to get a sense for how much those bottles would fetch back home, and whether it was worth it to buy it in France to bring home or to seek it out at my local liquor store.

Books

​Dracula by Bram Stoker. The vampire book that started it all (well, not quite), this one really does live up to its reputation as a classic. A few years ago, I read Stoker’s The Jewel of Seven Stars and enjoyed it tremendously (it even served as the inspiration for a Dark Sun one-shot scenario I wrote based around Queen Tara), so I’m not sure what took me so long to get to Dracula. The epistolary style is really well done and should serve as a reference point for any game masters who long to add handouts to their campaigns. It’s inspired me to try running Night’s Black Agents in the new year.

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch. Apparently this book is the first in an urban fantasy series I’ve been sleeping on for some time. The easy comparison is Storm Front, the first book in the Dresden Files, but I have to say that this one comes out on top re: modern wizard investigator stories, mostly because of the protagonist’s sense of humor and the audiobook narrator’s brilliant delivery. I think fans of British TV will find themselves very much at home with this book. I had the happy accident of being in London while reading this, and I had been exploring Covent Garden and the alleys surrounding the Royal Opera House immediately before reading the finale, which helped tremendously when picturing the final scenes.

Slaying the Dragon by Ben Riggs. With the news of the recent Hasbro layoffs affecting the D&D team at Wizards of the Coast, this book feels like required reading to understand some of the boom and bust cycles of D&D (although, sadly, D&D seems to be doing better than ever, and the layoffs appear to be mandated to help cover losses elsewhere in the company). It’s hard to fact-check/cross-reference this book because so much of it is original research and interviews done by the author, but that’s precisely why it’s a must-read for fans of the franchise.

Music

All Quiet on the Western Front (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film). One word: haunting. The main “melody” is extremely simplistic, but it fits the subject matter so well. I also recommend the movie if you play any 20th century-based wargames or read any history. I found it interesting that this was only the first time a German production company adapted it from the book.

Seelie by CLANN. I’m not sure how to categorize this album, except it’s incredibly ambient and dark and pagan (especially Celtic). The tracks all kind of blend together in a good way, making it excellent for writing or focus work.

Gris (Original Game Soundtrack). Another great soundtrack I put on repeat this year, mostly while reading. It’s melancholic, sweeping, hopeful. I’ve never played the video game, but if it’s half as good as the score, it’ll be quite good.

Movies/TV

​Barbie. I went for a “Barbenheimer” double-feature this summer, and I did not expect Barbie to hit way harder than Oppenheimer did. Ryan Gosling might have stolen the show, but the story and the feels really made this movie stay with us. Coming from a franchise development/IP approval perspective (and this is where I have to do the disclaimer that my opinions are my own, I’m not speaking on behalf of my employer Asmodee), I’m shocked that Mattel let this get made, but I’m so glad they did.

Blue Eye Samurai. (Netflix) I had little idea this was coming until a few weeks before the release, but this show blew me away and shattered any expectations I had for it. The character development, the animation, the voice acting, the themes… it’s hard to find faults with the show (although, perhaps Mizu’s ending was unexpected). If you enjoy samurai cinema or anime, if you’re at all interested in the history of Japan, or if you’re simply an appreciator of animation, this is a must-watch.

​Vienna Blood. (PBS) I like to joke that I have a grandmother’s taste in TV, because BBC/ITV period dramas make up so much of my streaming diet, but this is a mystery/detective show first and foremost. Instead of Sherlock and Watson, you’ve got Detective Rheinhardt and Max Liebermann. Max is a Jew in 1900s Vienna and a student of Freud’s work, with the psychoanalysis lending the show an interesting frame, but I’ve also really appreciated how important his family is to the show. I’ve found it really fascinating how they explore the many peoples of the Austro-Hungarian empire before its collapse, and it’s made me want to run a Cthulhu by Gaslight campaign in Vienna (elements of which I might pull forward into the NBA game).

Video Games

​Baldur’s Gate 3. (PC) It shouldn’t come as a surprise that someone whose hobbies center on Dungeons & Dragons and other roleplaying games should thoroughly enjoy this game, but I’m certain that even folks who have never rolled a d20 will be delighted by this CRPG from Larian Studios. The writing and voice performances are phenomenal, and the sheer amount of content (and thus, replayability) is staggering. I’ve logged over 60 hours playing and can easily see myself playing for 60 more. I’ve only just started Act II, so no spoilers, please!

Horizon: Forbidden West. (PS5) I was a bit of a latecomer to this game after it released in 2023, but once I started, I could barely put it down. Amazing characters? Check. Phenomenal gameplay? Check. Open-world exploration that actually evokes the feeling of discovery? Check. My only quibble is that the story isn’t quite as brilliant as the first game, but given that the first game was a masterpiece and easily in my top 5 games of all time, that’s a high bar to clear. I admit I bought a PlayStation 5 just so I could play the Burning Shores expansion when it came out in April, and while personally I had been shipping Aloy with Kotallo, I appreciate the romantic subplot being included.

What were some of your favorites from 2023? Did your list have any of the same titles as mine?

Featured image by Alisa Anton on Unsplash

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Saw your ask to suggest non-American or Japanese animation things, and I don't have much...but can I suggest to you everything by Cartoon Salon? It's an Irish studio and they've done things like Song of the Sea, Secret of Kells, Breadwinner, etc. Except for a few things, I believe most of their stuff is based on Irish mythology. Animation is SO unique and so beautiful, and the storytelling is just otherworldly. Different vibes from most movies but just incredible.

Also, may I also add the Korean YouTube animator Vivinos? She does this combination of beautiful original aesthetic animated MVs and psychological horror (I think she has two projects going on right now but I mostly know her through Alien Stage). Studio Lico also has an adorable short YouTube series called A Day Before Us (I think it has 2 or 3 seasons, one which might be a prequel). The world of YouTube shorts that tell the most poignant stories under 3 minutes is vast and also somewhat painful...but I can't remember any others asides from those two.

Happy viewership!

~ Note (also, I am SO glad you're eyeing Link Click. It's awesome. No emotional devastation at all, cross my heart :DDD)

Ahhh thank you so much!

I have seen Song of the Sea and other movies by Cartoon Saloon! I’m part Irish myself so it makes me really happy to see Irish myth told and animated so beautifully!!! I’ve got such a soft spot for selkie stories. However I had no idea they did an adaptation of Breadwinner! I read that as a kid; I’ll have to watch it!

I am also familiar with Vivinos! I’ve seen at least a few of her amvs but not Alien Stage - psychological horror is something I absolutely love so I’ll be sure to check it out.

I guess it never occurred to me to look at YouTube shorts… but it is absolutely possible to tell amazing stories in a short amount of time. Thank you for the recommendations, Note! :D