Strange Eden: Waltz of the Grotesque
Feb. 19th, 2026 07:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gildedstageThe shortest month of the year may somehow end up being my most active on DW so far.
I didn’t want to get into any new projects right now. Yet here I am, after being lured in to a genre that usually doesn’t interest me, all thanks to one pretty boy design. Now I’m ensnared by the idiosyncratic worldview and visual design, jazzy music, and, most of all, messy human-monster relationships. I’m annoyed at myself, but I can’t be too upset about it.
From what little there is to go off of, it has the type of themes that always gets me hooked. Deeply held desires unable to be realized (perhaps because of the self interfering or society itself), and yet can’t be given up on. Support being inseparable from exploitation, or love from pain. I particularly liked the lyric “even if what you hold in both hands is emptiness” from the music video. Also, I cheered internally when I realized the majority of the cast are adults.
I’m not usually interested in the protagonist unit, but Senri really appeals to me. His design languages reads as the straightforwardly earnest and kindhearted protagonist, but he’s more competitive and argumentative in reality based on his description. However, he still cares deeply enough to run interference for his childhood friend, yet feels that there’s something unwanted about that bond (the word “腐れ縁” always activates my neurons). Most of the other “echoes” are quite ancient, so I’m really curious about this boy who is apparently young enough to be the childhood friend of Kousei and somehow has a human older brother.
Shuichiro-Luka is also a really fun setup. I already love the “strict with themself, kind to other” type character, but the added scrupulosity of being a clergyman and the guilt of trying to emulate something he lost is like catnip to me. I usually don’t like the lazy and dangerously quick to boredom/mood swing type character, but somehow the absurdity of Luka literally being described as a guy who is a gal saved it for me. A gal blue bird of happiness and his human, morally tortured clergyman. How awesome is that.
Hinata-Oujin is another unexpected pair that I’m really interested in. Hinata reminds me of Yoosung from Mystic Messenger and I’m not usually into pathetic little brother types, but a failboy like that being forced by circumstance to be the only parent to his many younger siblings? Who in his quest for more and more part-time jobs to make ends meet ends up meeting a nearly thousand year old monster? Hell yeah. The voice lines seem to imply that despite Oujin viewing it as his responsibility to nurture and aid beings weaker than him, he’s too naturally airheaded that Hinata ends up having to be the responsible one and voice of reason.
I already saw people saying their dynamic seems to healthy compared to the others, but I only think that’s the case if people think a parent-child dynamic is inherently healthy. I think a potential codependent dynamic they could have is if Oujin’s airheadness and naivety to human life forces Hinata into the parentified role he’s used to. Someone like Hinata probably wouldn’t be open or know affection, so maybe he’d have really complicated feelings if Oujin would repay him in some monstrous way for all the help. Basically, role reversal. But I’m extrapolating a lot from a little information, so I look forward to seeing what dynamic they’ll actually have (please be messed up though).
I didn’t click with Feiran-Yao in any way, though being interested in 3/4 is already more than enough for me. I guess if there’s one thing I like about it, it’s that there’s a huge height difference despite the shorter guy already being quite tall himself 👀.
Rin from the Michitaka-Rin duo was actually who caught my eye when the teaser popped up on my TL. I wasn’t expecting a 1200 year old hikikomori gaming streamer with an ethereal aura and a glass-like body. Interestingly, even though part of his poor condition is due to his age, it also seems like his lack of independence is also partially psychologically caused, since he was often cared for by worshippers. It’s a caretaker relationship, but I can’t tell what the “catch” is from Michitaka. The “aquarium” hobby feels significant considering the quote describing Rin comes from the Little Mermaid, but other than that, I’m unsure. Perhaps it could have something to do with his younger brother.
I really can’t get over how funny Rin’s design is in context. The 1200 year old ethereal god-like creature who dresses in ripped jeans. Also, I was really curious how his voice would sound so my heart stopped when I heard Rui Kamishiro’s voice come out.
There’s a lot of potential here (the fan server for English speakers has 460 members after what? 2 days?), so I hope it shows us something interesting (and doesn’t sacrifice its interesting artistic direction to AI like some recent joseimuke projects).
I didn’t want to get into any new projects right now. Yet here I am, after being lured in to a genre that usually doesn’t interest me, all thanks to one pretty boy design. Now I’m ensnared by the idiosyncratic worldview and visual design, jazzy music, and, most of all, messy human-monster relationships. I’m annoyed at myself, but I can’t be too upset about it.
From what little there is to go off of, it has the type of themes that always gets me hooked. Deeply held desires unable to be realized (perhaps because of the self interfering or society itself), and yet can’t be given up on. Support being inseparable from exploitation, or love from pain. I particularly liked the lyric “even if what you hold in both hands is emptiness” from the music video. Also, I cheered internally when I realized the majority of the cast are adults.
I’m not usually interested in the protagonist unit, but Senri really appeals to me. His design languages reads as the straightforwardly earnest and kindhearted protagonist, but he’s more competitive and argumentative in reality based on his description. However, he still cares deeply enough to run interference for his childhood friend, yet feels that there’s something unwanted about that bond (the word “腐れ縁” always activates my neurons). Most of the other “echoes” are quite ancient, so I’m really curious about this boy who is apparently young enough to be the childhood friend of Kousei and somehow has a human older brother.
Shuichiro-Luka is also a really fun setup. I already love the “strict with themself, kind to other” type character, but the added scrupulosity of being a clergyman and the guilt of trying to emulate something he lost is like catnip to me. I usually don’t like the lazy and dangerously quick to boredom/mood swing type character, but somehow the absurdity of Luka literally being described as a guy who is a gal saved it for me. A gal blue bird of happiness and his human, morally tortured clergyman. How awesome is that.
Hinata-Oujin is another unexpected pair that I’m really interested in. Hinata reminds me of Yoosung from Mystic Messenger and I’m not usually into pathetic little brother types, but a failboy like that being forced by circumstance to be the only parent to his many younger siblings? Who in his quest for more and more part-time jobs to make ends meet ends up meeting a nearly thousand year old monster? Hell yeah. The voice lines seem to imply that despite Oujin viewing it as his responsibility to nurture and aid beings weaker than him, he’s too naturally airheaded that Hinata ends up having to be the responsible one and voice of reason.
I already saw people saying their dynamic seems to healthy compared to the others, but I only think that’s the case if people think a parent-child dynamic is inherently healthy. I think a potential codependent dynamic they could have is if Oujin’s airheadness and naivety to human life forces Hinata into the parentified role he’s used to. Someone like Hinata probably wouldn’t be open or know affection, so maybe he’d have really complicated feelings if Oujin would repay him in some monstrous way for all the help. Basically, role reversal. But I’m extrapolating a lot from a little information, so I look forward to seeing what dynamic they’ll actually have (please be messed up though).
I didn’t click with Feiran-Yao in any way, though being interested in 3/4 is already more than enough for me. I guess if there’s one thing I like about it, it’s that there’s a huge height difference despite the shorter guy already being quite tall himself 👀.
Rin from the Michitaka-Rin duo was actually who caught my eye when the teaser popped up on my TL. I wasn’t expecting a 1200 year old hikikomori gaming streamer with an ethereal aura and a glass-like body. Interestingly, even though part of his poor condition is due to his age, it also seems like his lack of independence is also partially psychologically caused, since he was often cared for by worshippers. It’s a caretaker relationship, but I can’t tell what the “catch” is from Michitaka. The “aquarium” hobby feels significant considering the quote describing Rin comes from the Little Mermaid, but other than that, I’m unsure. Perhaps it could have something to do with his younger brother.
I really can’t get over how funny Rin’s design is in context. The 1200 year old ethereal god-like creature who dresses in ripped jeans. Also, I was really curious how his voice would sound so my heart stopped when I heard Rui Kamishiro’s voice come out.
Giant Image Warning (I can’t get this to resize for the life of me)
There’s a lot of potential here (the fan server for English speakers has 460 members after what? 2 days?), so I hope it shows us something interesting (and doesn’t sacrifice its interesting artistic direction to AI like some recent joseimuke projects).
