#nemophila/fern

[natsubane]

watched all the available episodes of sousou no frieren today and surprised myself with how much i enjoyed it so i want to leave my thoughts here before i forget them; i think it would've been a lot more enjoyable if i was catching it from the start, but i ended up crying more than several times anyway

it's such a good concept to begin with, the storytelling is so compelling, and i really enjoyed the atmosphere in every episode. the worldbuilding is very good, we never really get exposition dumped but we learn things as the characters do, which keeps things believable and easy to stomach... plus, we always see stories about the defeat of the demon king, and much less the story of the aftermath, which got me interested in it in the first place. and especially when you add in the factor of time as a matter of inconsequence to frieren in comparison to everyone else especially with her personality... it's so satisfying seeing the exploration of things like the delicate balance between memories of the past and their inability to be changed with how they have influenced and shaped growth (of both the characters and the world) into the present, the passing of time and its varying (in)significance to the characters caught in its flow, the transience of life and (the learning of) what it means to live...

even then the flow of time passing is animated so well; there's this relentlessness to its passing, but despite that it flows like a calm river, clear and constant and steady, never hurrying, never drying. and mage's comment about it showcasing perfectly how frieren stays the same despite time passing is really neat too. on the flip side seeing how things have changed over time (the borrowing, adaptation, improvement of spells from demons which then go on to be adopted by mages is something i really fucking liked!! and the way fern uses the magic so casually as a way to demonstrate the development of magic turning a death spell into 'ordinary offensive magic' is so so good. frieren using this to teach her a history lesson was Also really good.)

it's hard to dislike any of the main characters when they show such strong cohesion of their complex pasts and personalities, and their actions do so well to showcase who they are even in battle (fern's precision and blunt simplicity stands out here). you can even see how they have changed each other over the course of their journey... frieren wanting to give up on finding the lost ring so not to slow the party down but fern insisting they'll stay until she finds it contrasting with her impatience with frieren spending months trying to find the blue moon weed at the beginning of their journey is something that stuck with me a lot

the other thing that stuck with me is the rebuilding of the original party not only thematically within their roles but also in influence by the original heroes (fern being taught by frieren and their noted similarity in the earlier episodes with regards to magic, stark being taught by eisen and the same way they express and approach fear, sein's choice not to become an adventurer being directly influenced by heiter not to mention their obvious similarities in habits)... and of those it's really fitting how frieren represents himmel's hero role now after she was influenced by her journey with himmel, especially with his death giving immense meaning to her new journey and frieren copying his actions because it's what he would do

but i enjoyed it... will be back next week..... waha.............

[frostfires-blog]

Sousou no Frieren Hanakotoba Analysis

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-> 1) Blue-Moon Weed [蒼月草│Sō gessō]

The Blue-Moon Weed (Sō gesso │ 蒼月草) is a blue, fictitious flower in the universe of Sousou no Frieren endemic to Himmel's hometown. The flower can be described as having blue anthers, yellow filaments as well as five petals that range from deeper blue at the tips to lighter blue in the centre. Although the Blue-Moon Weed is fictional, it appears to be inspired by real-life plants—namely Baby Blue Eyes and the Asiatic Daylily.

During episode 2, Frieren cleans a statue of Himmel the hero, afterwards a local herbalist proposes planting some flowers around the statue to brighten the area. This causes Frieren to recall how Himmel once told her his favourite flowers were Blue-Moon Weeds. This motivates her to search for these flowers over the next six months, despite these plants not being sighted for decades. After much frustration on Fern's part, the two eventually discover a small meadow of Blue-Moon Weed flowers atop an abandoned watchtower. This allows Frieren to use her spell to decorate the area around the statue with these flowers.  During this incident, we learn that Frieren’s penchant for collecting odd spells partly stems from Himmel expressing his appreciation for them—particularly the flower bed-making spell which is currently her favourite. Although Frieren couldn’t grant Himmel’s desire to show her Blue-Moon Weed flowers before his death, she was still somewhat able to fulfil this desire by finding the flowers and planting them around his statue as a tribute. Her willingness to devote half a year towards finding the flower showcases her remarkable dedication and nuanced sentimentality.

-> 1,2) Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila sp.)

The most apparent inspiration for the Blue-Moon Weed is likely Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila sp.). Although the leaves of the Blue-Moon Weed have an elongated shape, the shape and method of attachment differ from those of Nemophila—the shape and colour of the flowers are very similar to Nemophila. Baby Blue Eyes flowers are known as Rurikarakusa (ルリカラクサ) in Japan. In hanakotoba, Nemophila symbolises success everywhere, daintiness and forgiveness. In Western floriography, they represent victory, tenderness, sensitivity, harmony and trust. These symbolic connotations are closely linked with Himmel’s personality and accomplishments. Nemophila also represent the transient nature of beauty and life, encouraging us to treasure every moment and appreciate simplicity—which is a core theme in the series and is a lesson that Frieren is slowly learning throughout her journey.

The scientific name for Baby Blue Eyes, Nemophila, is derived from Greek and roughly translates to "loves small woodlands". This is derived from Nemophila's tendency to grow around the margins of woodlands. In a way, this is reminiscent of Himmel and Frieren's first encounter in the forest when the former became lost. After pointing him in the right direction, Frieren casts the flower bed-making spell leaving a lasting impact on Himmel. Specifically, it is hinted that Himmel sought Frieren out to be the party's magician since that event was the first time he perceived magic as being beautiful.

-> 1,2) Asiatic Dayflower (Commelina communis)

Another possible inspiration for the Blue-Moon Weed is the Asiatic Dayflower (Commelina communis). In Japan, this plant is known as tsuyukusa (露草) meaning "dew grass“. However, in ancient times it was called tsukikusa (月草) meaning “moon grass” which is similar to the name of Blue-Moon Weed. Although the two plants both possess blue-coloured flowers and similar leaf shapes; how the leaves attach to the stem differs, as does the shape of the flowers. In hanakotoba, the Asiatic Dayflower symbolises nostalgic relationships, secret love, transience and changes of heart in love. In Western floriography, they symbolise harmony, growth, prosperity and abundance. These symbolic associations—particularly those of nostalgic relationships, growth and changes of the heart in love—resonate heavily with Frieren’s relationship with Himmel. While the flower’s symbolism of secret love and transience resonates with Himmel’s feelings towards Frieren.

-> 2) Mirrored Lotus [鏡蓮華│Kagami renge]

The Mirror Lotus (Kagami renge │鏡蓮華) is a fictitious flower in the universe of Sousou no Frieren. However, its name suggests it is based on a real lotus (Nelumbo nucifera). Furthermore, the shape of the flower on Fern's bracelet is quite similar to that of a real lotus, which lends credence to this notion. In episode 14, it is noted that the silver bracelet Stark bought Fern for her birthday features a Mirror Lotus design. As Frieren studies the bracelet, she realises it has the same design as a ring she received from Himmel in the past. Sein then reveals that the Mirror Lotus symbolises eternal love.

Although Fern, Stark, and Frieren were unaware of the flower's symbolism, Himmel's interest in flowers suggests he recognised the meaning behind the ring he bought for Frieren—despite her assumption otherwise. As Frieren recalls receiving the ring, we see that after she selected it randomly Himmel was struck into silence and stared at it with a pensive expression. He then knelt before Frieren and placed it on the fourth finger of her left hand. This event, resembling a marriage proposal, reinforces the impression that he understood the significance of the flower. Furthermore, Himmel never married anyone else, alluding to the fact that Himmel must have pledged his eternal affection to Frieren through this ring. The significance of Himmel gifting Frieren a ring that symbolises "eternal love," as well as the multiple sculptures he had constructed around the world serve as a reminder of his existence. They serve as proof that his love for her transcends time and continues to accompany her on her journey.

Although Fern’s bracelet Fern and Frieren’s ring both have a mirrored lotus motif, the designs of the flowers differ in shape. The mirror lotus flower on Frieren’s ring is in bud state while the flower Fern's bracelet is in full bloom. This distinction references the difference between the two pairs’ relationships. While it is inferred that Himmel knew about the flower’s meaning, Frieren wasn't aware and only discovered it after his death. Himmel's romantic feelings for Frieren are still unknown to her, corresponding to the flower's bud shape on the ring, as their relationship remains frozen, unable to fully blossom due to the distance between them caused by their differing lifespans and Frieren's unintentional obliviousness. However, Fern and Stark discover the flower's significance together almost immediately after buying the bracelet. Although Fern, like Stark, was unaware of the mirror lotus' symbolism when she accepted the bracelet, she continued to wear it after learning about it and was enraged by Stark's proposal that she replace it with another design. If Fern hadn't had any romantic feelings for Stark, she would have been reluctant to wear the bracelet after this revelation. This, in conjunction with the flower's full bloom design on her bracelet, suggests that the pair will become mutually conscious of each other's romantic feelings and eventually end up together.

-> 2,1) Sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)

In Japan, lotuses are called ren (蓮) or hasu (はす) and symbolise eloquence, sacredness, detached love as well as a pure heart in hanakotoba. Its symbolism of a pure heart is derived from how the lotus blooms into a noble and pure flower despite rising from muddy water. This symbolic connotation resonates with Himmel’s character, particularly his remarkable accomplishments despite his humble background. Lotuses are also globally associated with purity, rebirth, transformation and enlightenment. The lotus’s symbolic representation of enlightenment and transformation resonates with Frieren’s journey to learn and understand humans better to alleviate her regret of not getting to know Himmel better. In Asia, two lotus flowers blossoming from a single stem represent a desire for harmony and a shared heart. While in Western floriography, lotuses represent grace and estranged love. This sharp contrast between the lotus’ romantic symbolism in Asia and the West correlates with the difference in dynamic between the series’ main two pairings and their narrative conclusions. Additionally, despite Himmel’s feelings remaining unknown to Frieren, due to her leaving after their 10-year journey (i.e. estranged love), she shows a desire to understand him (i.e. a desire for a shared heart) after his death.

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╰➤ Other anime & donghua hanakotoba posts

[A/N: It'll probably be a while until I make another one of these posts—but if anyone has any requests feel free to send them. Also, lmk what other kinds of posts I should do in the meantime? Lastly, if you liked this post, check out my other hanakotoba analysis posts✿]

[ambalambs]

Thought of another Miko question! Is there any flower or plants that you associate with him? Is there any meaning behind it if so or is it just because it seems right?

There's these flowers called nemophila, aka baby blue eyes, that always make me think of him

Their colors just remind me of him lol there's no particular reason beyond that. But when I looked up the meaning apparently the name means "woodland-loving" so I guess that's very fitting for him ;u;

But I do love the idea of him making his flower crowns/bracelets out of little white daises or white clover flowers. Basically I guess if I were to make a bouquet for him it'd be nemophila, daisies, white clover, those little baby's breath flowers and some like ferns or something green and foresty lol but there really isn't any deep meaning with the symbolisms, its just based one their looks/colors/vibes!

[rainydayspecial]

Starting a garden has shown me how having patience and being gentle with growth can only help one bloom. It also showed me that no matter how weird or bad it looks while growing, if you take care, you will appreciate the beauty of how it looks when it’s time to blossom.

Collinsia heterophylla - “Purple Chinese houses”

Nemophila menziesii - “Baby blue eyes”

[unfriendlyamazon]

cause i love a flower motif, here's the flowers i associate ygos with:

🌻 joey and sunflowers seems the most obvious, but i'm nothing if not easy i cannot remember which fern i gave him but its likely to be a peacock plant

🌱 i've written seto with blue lilies and a blue vanda, and then in one fic I had him name his dragons after the nemophila flower (baby blue eyes)

🏵 tristan got an orange zinnia for its "lasting affection" meaning

🌺 the peach blossom for Duke is something of an inside joke with @saggiclowns and i'm also a fan of the camellia

🍁 yugi gets a dahlia because of how big and colorful it is, though the bonus meaning of inner strength and change certainly help

🌸 tea gets the peach in canon but I like her more an orange osmanthus, and possibly some peonies

🥀 ryou is mostly associated with white lilies, red spider lilies, and datura

bonus round Pegasus has a whole rose motif going on and I usually give him an overabundant garden as a symbol of excess and cultivation, and then gave zigfried the alpine rose to give him something more distinctly european. house kaiba got nandina and abelia flowers in an offshoot, again as a symbol of beauty that is ultimately a garden pest (here in the south, where nandina is an invasive species).

seto also gets a lot of bug imagery from me: caterpillar hunter, spiders generally (useful to your garden but hated and feared), snails also (i just think they're neat) and sometimes I think about seto reading kafka's metamorphosis and nodding this guy gets it.

[suspicious-whumping-egg]

A good blue flower is nemophila!! It’s my favorite flower like ever… cornflowers and forget-me-nots are also lovely… but I agree that Erebus would look good with that kinda fern tho, I have encountered it before and love smacking it lmao. I will smack Erebus and then smack the fern hehe. Also Erebus does not suck, he is cute and lovely and his pain is absolutely delightful.

3 (What plant would they have growing out of their head (either their choice or what you think fits them (or both😳))? ), 7 (Would you want them as a lab partner?), 12 (Have them write a haiku🌸), 14 (If they were walking in the woods, with no one around and their phone was dead, and they spotted Shia LaBeouf out of the corner of their eye, would they run?) for ur own oc crack questions, all for erebus my lovely wonderful precious boy

(From this ask game)

Erebus sucks but go off

3. What plant would they have growing out of their head (either their choice or what you think fits them (or both😳))?

I'm not going to look up flower language or anything because that is silly. Anyway I think vibe-wise he would get mimosa pudica aka my favorite fern that curls up when you smack it (or touch it) because I like smacking it and I also like smacking him! Amazing

As far as what he would want...some flower I'm sure because he's a little soft bitch. Probably blue. I don't know any blue flowers except for irises

7. Would you want them as a lab partner?

YES because he would LISTEN to me when I tell him to titrate the thing and would get his work finished at a reasonable time and he's decently intelligent despite me calling him stupid all the time (I think it's funny)

12. Have them write a haiku🌸

I don't like it here

I would like to go home now

Alas, Neteri

14. If they were walking in the woods, with no one around and their phone was dead, and they spotted Shia LaBeouf out of the corner of their eye, would they run?

No he would not! He would be nervous and a little scared, but he'd try to hold a friendly conversation because He's Polite and I think by the time that backfired it would be too late lol

[natsubane]

i really feel like ep16 made me sit and think about sein a bit... i love the trope of a reluctant addition as an act of convenience with their own goal, but who eventually grows used to the party's company. and i think the fact that he does care a lot about the people in his life is very apparent (despite my knowing that he'll just end up as the haha depressed comedic relief guy in fancontent), he was just forced to make his very difficult, life-changing decision at a young age between his duty and his dream, his family and his friend... like despite himself ruining his image by doing everything a priest shouldn't i think it's pretty obvious that it's a way for him to distance himself from his duty bc of the guilt and regret he feels about that decision.

honestly i want to learn more about his character; he fits in very well with the themes of the series what with his clinging to the memories of the past but not being able to change them. (and honestly i also think i might just see a lot of relatable traits in his avoidance and denial... thinking it's too late to really do anything so never doing it... his stubbornness towards change despite it being something he wanted / for the better... sousou no frieren does very well in making very likeable, realistic characters and i am all for it.)

i'm really looking forward to see what he chooses in ep17. as he is i don't imagine that sein will stay with the party, and while i think his time with the party was somewhat short... i'll look forward to see how he chooses to do so and with what expression he makes his decision with.