HOUSEKI NO KUNI ENDING THEORIES

[@NatalieXHunter]

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[@MrTakajimi]

Imagine if Phos only pray for herself and disappears, leaving the Lunarians alone and confused. Fuck them.

[@november4196]

But what about antarc (and possibly sensei). I feel like they didn't do wrong

[@Insorainity]

@@november4196 pray for her, antarc, and sensei only 200iq moment for phos

[@emerald1968]

I'd like to think that the happiest ending for phos that would bring all the plot lines full circle would revolve around the admirabulus. At the end of 95 we see phos looking out to the ocean, which i think might serve as a transition into her realizing she has people she can communicate with in the ocean, so she would go there and as she learns more about senseis past, teach the admirabulus about humanity and what came before, looping back to the way ventricosus taught phos about humanity. In doing so it could lead to the admirabulus finding a way to get to the moon just like ventricosus and Variegatus wanted, but instead of going to war to get everyone back, they would teach the lunarians about how to find their own paths to peace, just like sensei's dog did. That way anyone who wants to go to nothingness, can, and they can stay as long as they want ,while phos is also able to help the newborn gems into their own healthier ways of life among the admirabulus.

[@NatalieXHunter]

That's a pretty cool theory - I'd like to see that actually. It's true that Shiro (the dog) did manage to vanish on its own, so maybe there is a path to that that doesn't require prayer by someone else...

[@nigazi8452]

Thank you for mentioning this personally I felt like the admirabilis were the least explored in the series and we hardly saw how they spent their day to day lives outside of the ones that gave themselves up due to hunger. They aren't as simple as a background race because time does effect them. There is potential for them to play a much bigger part than what most theories have given credit for with those theories focusing heavily on the lunarians or phos as an individual. I'd like point out that the admirabilis are easily influenced and are known to pass down their knowledge rather than have good memories like the lunarians or rely on pieces of themselves like the gems. They also know of phos through the scent of their leaders from centuries ago but also the stories of him passed down through word of mouth. The admirabilis are a race that evolve as seen on the moon but look at phos as a savior and a thing of legend it wouldn't be to far fetched to say that after 10k years they worship him as a living God. For proof of that last statement look no further than them being naturally attracted towards him and willingly to tear themselves apart to please him simply because he asked for their shells. I'm sure those ramblings of mine could lead to a whole slew of other issues in the series but I just wanted to share my thoughts with someone.

[@phos521]

Ye but phos now have cinnabar toxic mercury .-.

[@Varue]

I think it's a bit like closure. My dad who I quarreled with a lot in the past once said that closure comes from within, not from outside. Outer influences may make it easier or harder, but you are ultimately the one who must find the closure. The Lunarians refuse to find closure as they are obsessed with getting Sensei to pray, and Enma has led them to believe this is the only way forward. So they stoop to acts of violence, genocide, cruelty, just to get what they want the way they want. But Shiro found closure with Sensei on its own. I think that is a big hint on its own to the nature of the story as a whole.

[@PurpleCyanideTube]

I can’t believe that after watching a large amount of discussions about this show I never heard someone mention or think myself about how the doge actually got dispersed. I guess I assumed it was more of the dissolve the lunarians did when they just went back to the moon but we never did see the doge again huh… that will have to come back in. No way it won’t.

[@justchik4942]

Personally I feel that phos's mental state after the time skip would be the deciding factor on what route the cute rock fellow would decide, contrary to what everyone else thinks I do believe that instead of preying peeps away or not pray somehow phos gained the ability to do the exact reverse of it and instead bring back humans by merging the lunarians, the jewels and the ama......the organic life thingies, I do realise this is just a crack theory but 10k years of hatred could drive pho's mental state to where she desires revenge and salvation to the lunarian and the gem peeps

[@youwhat.]

Since Phos is a pseudo human, it would make sense that they now learn about the final piece of humans again - the admirabilis. I wouldn't be shocked if Phos, feeling betrayed by the Gems and Lunarians, turns to them and learns about their views of death. This would be super interesting and enlightening since they are the only mortals in this series and would see the positives of being immortal more than anyone else does. But they could also learn about the negatives and try to comfort Phos since they are more keenly aware of what fears of both being forgotten by the ones they love and leading an "useless life" are like due to their limited lifespan. I think this may lead Phos to then learn more about the human desires in the glaciers and recover their arms - and remember his own desire to become better. I think Phos' final arc will be about forgiveness and acceptance, though it depends on how their prayer works to see how that is accomplished.

[@amandamaglio6838]

Gotta love Dictatorship! Force gentle, loving, entities to suck up their pain and suffering and just forgive the atrocities taken against them, and just pray and forgive the abuse, which is a HUGE HIDDEN MESSAGE OF CONTINUED VICTIM SHAMING AND ABUSER SUPPORTIVE IN SOCIETY. One should always be allowed to be as they are.

[@lucchi018]

There's the thing about Sensei would pray away everyone bc he was broken, originally he would pray for people individually. Nothing says that Phos will do the mass praying. From what i understood in the manga, Phos would become a perfect praying machine like sensei was once before, praying individually

[@lucchi018]

What i'm truly curious is the "Child" Emma said he wanted to have with Welegato. It had such a great emphasys that Ichikawa couldn't left this just as a thought. I would like to see a Genki cheeky first born Lunarian Prince annoying Phos to pray his kingdom.

[@nekokna]

too scaryyy

[@Jack-lp3gc]

An interesting Idea I've seen is that sensei is not broken literally, but rather it's a moral issue, him praying would send all human descendants into oblivion not because he physically can't only obliterate lunarians but instead, he simply won't because it would be discriminant something that would be a non-issue if he hadn't "lost enlightenment" due to his attachment to the gems. A head canon I have for what happens next is the lunarians try to prevent Phos by encountering new gems by taking them on sight as soon as they are born, only to fail due to Phos meeting the amirbilis on earth instead starting an ocean arc.

[@3c0746]

The ending i want is Josuke from jba part 4 showing up and fixing everyone and the sensei praying for the lunarians.

[@Kyss111]

My theory: what if praying meant that it's more like a bomb, a bomb that will wipe the planet, the moon and everything in it. So the eye that Kongo gave phos is the bomb, a bomb to end everything, once phos pray there will be no more gems, there will be no more lunarians, no more amaribilis, no more phos.

[@dracocrusher]

Huh, never expected to see this pop up. I'm honestly really curious what the heck the mangaka is even going to do, because if it was just going to be a straightforward couple of chapters then I could see them ending things off really smoothly. But the fact that this hiatus has taken so long really makes me feel like it's going to be more than that. I feel like one of the really interesting things is that Phos's transformation into 'a true human' is played to be really horrific, like it's the big climax of her descent into madness and toxicity. But at the same time, there's some really clear visual symbolism going on where she absorbs the poison of Cinnabar and becomes more complete in her appearance. So I have to wonder if she's going to just have to let her frustrations and emotions dwell inside of her until she just gives up and becomes apathetic to everyone? I could see things working out in a way where Phos looks into the Master's memories and thinks that everyone she knew forgot her and turned against her, right? Like she needed help and most of her fellow gems just left her behind. But she could also realize that the Lunarians also used her and that they didn't explain the full scope of their plans, either. So maybe when it comes back what we got is going to be the end of the actual fighting, but what's left is just this final piece of big emotional character drama. Because nothing anyone said could convince the Master to change, but Phos is different, and we could get this real exploration of Phos going through depression as all the characters we've grown attached to finally try to understand her as a person and they can each attempt to convince her that it's time to move on and stop dwelling in her grief. After everything that's happened, I feel like it would just make a lot of sense to end on the series finally acknowledging Phos's mental health and it could really bring things home in a really interesting and satisfying way. Because people haven't been good to her, right? A lot of people found her clumsy and annoying early on and their opinions only went down more and more as she broke under the pressures of it all. So now that everyone's going to be on the same level, it would make a lot of sense to finally let everyone look at the full context of everything in hindsight and really formulate their thoughts and feelings on it in a way that could really drive home the themes and messages of the series. Also really like the idea of a third choice. I think it would make a lot of sense if it was less that she can pray for each individual person and more that she can choose to restrict the area. So you have the Gems on earth who are being made and are just getting used to things, but then you could have Phos go back to the moon and just pray for all the people on the moon. Then it could end on this implication that the gems left behind might grow tired of living and try to take matters into their own hands as well, in which time Phos would have to invite everyone back to the moon to pray for the next batch of gems all over again. Personally, I think it would have to just be a big wave where she just does the thing and then you see everyone disappear, right? I feel like if it was just one person at a time then it wouldn't quite have the same impact that we've been building up with the Master praying this entire time. Those are my thoughts, at least.

[@Starriaaa]

My theory is that Phos would become the new sensei and teach and form the new gems. Then phos would refuse to pray for the lunarians and gem-narians because honestly why would they after all that happened. So I believe there will be some sort of big battle where the old gems as lunarians will fight the new gems and then it’ll probably all end with phos praying everyone away.

[@84ganta]

i stoped reading it at around ch 40 (i think) .i had caught up and i thought "i ll wait till its done or it has a lot of chps to read..." then it came the long pause and i didnt pick it up to this day.this manga has a unique way to break my heart very often so i think i ll wait till its done.....i remember thinking "its gona end with all 'elements' combining again for the creatio of human life..." i dont remember why tho!

[@NatalieXHunter]

Ah, it gets really good later on (up to ch. 40 is good too but that's mostly in the anime) - you should get back into it!

[@PushLikesAwrinjes]

If chapter 95 was truly the end of the series I would gladly take that. Personally tho I would prefer that ending you suggested where all parties involved are happy.

[@kw3n304]

I just want Phos to be happy...

[@rottenmeat5934]

Buddhism, when taken seriously, categorically denies a satisfying ending. The only goal is true death for everything. Not surprised an author is finding a hard time putting a good spin on that.

[@Kyss111]

That's why I think that by praying everything will be wipe out, the planet, the moon, leaving nothing behind, my theory is the eye that adamant gave phos is the bomb once she prays everything will be no more

[@flapflapflapflap]

I may have not much knowledge but hear me out Similar to your suggestion where they may have to take a gem and force it into downward spiral, what if a Lunarian would take a fallen gem and a fallen admirabilis and well, go convince Phos Basically a willing Lunarian will be a human *Also the eye Kongo passed to Phos may have been some kind of a voice activation system so meaning that Phos might be a cyborg-ish human, thus making the "force a gem to insanity part 2" might plausibly work*

[@artoriapendragonidilfitri7414]

This video is a gem of it own.

[@NatalieXHunter]

Awwww thanks!

[@nekokna]

i wouldl ike if someone(including Phos) found all lost pieces of Phos and made them again. so both phos could interact.

[@RadiantBleu]

Imagine them picking up their head and just pausing while saying “Adorable.”

[@sas662]

What is the story of the missing pieces of phos? I read the manga but didn't understand

[@naomi9413]

@@sas662 legs taken by lunarians/lost in ocean? arms taken by ice floes to bribe lunarians head taken by lunarians left eye was with kongo idk what happened to it

[@aiperas4162]

I used to think the exact same way . It will be perfect

[@danielcruz4960]

love to see anyone that covers this

[@Varue]

I don't think that Sensei praying would have made the gems break. From what I remember, this was just speculation by Enma as to why Sensei will not pray. At some point I believe Enma even says so, that his speculation had been wrong, and that something is truly wrong with Sensei's prayer function. Which would explain why he initially stopped praying in the first place. Something is incredibly fishy about it all.

[@MadMakishimu]

We got some rocks.

[@NatalieXHunter]

Not just any rocks. Sad rocks.

[@imwatchin8807]

I do hope it end happily, as, really, phos only wanted peace and stop everyone from suffering. But we'll need to see how phos is after the time skip, as, for now, phos lost everything from, to his knowledge, only trying to help, se he could fla tout refuse to pray as revenge. I'm also fairly curious to see about new earth gems, and I don't think Phos will be agressive toward them as, well, he only showed to be aggresive to people he felt betrayed him in some way, so he could just raise them, but tell them the full story? Just very curious.

[@yassermontasser7196]

I just wanna say your voice and the way you talk is so fun to listen to, it sounds so professional for some reason.

[@ssignment]

Ugh I miss houseki no kuni! I might rewatch it again.

[@rajvirmalhans2073]

The author is waiting for it to get a season 2 probably. Or it has to do with the theory of 10000 hours or minutes equating to the recent chapters

[@NatalieXHunter]

I think it's the other way around, and season 2 won't be confirmed until the story is finished, given if there are only a few chapters left they could do the whole rest of the story in one season.

[@rajvirmalhans2073]

@@NatalieXHunter ya they could 1 season 2 cours. 50ish chapters can be done in 24-26 episodes

[@NatalieXHunter]

They also wouldn't need to strictly speaking adapt everything, the first season reordered some stuff.

[@rajvirmalhans2073]

@@NatalieXHunter ya since it does seem like they couldn’t have adapted all of the 40 chapters. Depends on the actual content. I know that happens especially for slice of life stuff or small moments

[@jayemover_16]

I have no idea why they didn't jut dump all the admirabillis into the ocean where they would shrink out of their shell like Ventricosus? The only unique thing about Ventri is that she retained high cognitive function throughout her being on the moon.

[@wibby3931]

I don't think that the cycle of newborn gems-sensei would happen again. The reason (at least that's what Enma says) why kongo stopped working was because he started feeling for the gems and grew an ego. Since phos still has the left eye given to them by Enma (through which he can see everything Phos sees) I don't think he would let them end up like sensei, which might start the whole kidnapping gems war again. Anyway your Houseki videos are very enjoyable and insightful :)

[@aiperas4162]

I doubt that phos will keep this eye after realising this

[@Ice-st2di]

I personally would like to see hauseki no kuni ending with phos and their new gems who are their students/friends with them and pray for the lunarians disappearing, all of them, even those who used to be gems and live peacefully with their students/friends and the admirillais together, with no lunarians to bother them for all eternity.

[@imperialchalice]

It’s interesting to think that adamant became a soul among the lunarians, which would indicate that he developed a soul despite being built a machine. I always had the thought that this is what he meant as defective. We don’t know, in the end, if he really could pray as he was built to do, because he had conflict with most likely erasing the gems which he had grown to love (and also somehow came to the conclusion that every creature around him would be erased, likely because they are all part human), and so never actually tried after he initially realized he was broken (I like to think it’s because he believes he would be all alone, and he now has a consciousness too, which may also imply what he refers to as defectiveness within himself, although, he is machine, and his inability to pray may simply be due to the fact that he is a machine, and machines do eventually stop working without tending or repairing or when they run the course of their life…which leads me to the point of having a purpose- he may have begun to question his existence). He too implies that he had wanted to break for a long time, when phos finally tells him to break. Phos becoming human is so interesting. Phos gains pieces and experiences of all forms of life, grows soul, is bone, and then flesh with the gift of the admirabilis. The art book released by the author called Pseudomorph of Love really changed my perspective about this story. If you look into the definition of pseudomorphism- that is what phos has become, a pseudomorph of a human. The question is: will phos really become human after the 10,000 years. The story developing past this point should be really interesting. Because humans created a prayer machine to do for them what they couldn’t: pray (though, again, my mind is blurry on his creator, and I believe it’s mentioned she build him because she was lonely-I forget, which I will add, it makes sense that he broke if he wasn’t built to handle praying for so many souls). That might have been due to the heavy number of souls that were taken by the asteroid (meteor?) crashes, but my minds a little blurry on the which came first. Considering the only machine they had before adamant, was his brother (who, too, grew consciousness, and for some reason wanted vengeance against humans-that, to me, is the most interesting plot point nobody talks about, where did this hatred come from?). And so how would phos bring peace to all the souls? Will they be able to pray? And what would happen to the ice floes (I forget if the adamants brother is the ice floes?). Will phos accept the eye that adamant left behind to assist with praying. Say phos is able to do so…they would be making the choice of being all alone if everyone goes into nothingness. And phos would be the only human on this planet. Would they remain immortal? Anyway. I love this story so much. I’ve seen it and read it once before, and have recently come back and have seen it and read it over again (Although I’m reading it backwards this time so I’m nearing the part where they talk about adamants brother). Can’t wait to form more theories of my own. ☺️

[@imperialchalice]

Also, there is a part in the story that always stands out to me. All these gems, admirabilis, and lunarians were once human. Who was phos? And who or what has adamant become. Awesome things to keep you pondering for hours. This story really is a masterpiece.

[@imperialchalice]

When phos sees the particles of humans floating around on the moon, they start feeling sick. Is phos repulsed by what they are becoming? I felt their disgust so internally. When they explained to phos that what they were staring at were human particles, I felt that nausea and sickness myself, before phos even states they feel sick soon after, and I felt so connected to the character at that moment in time (it was almost surreal). Being enveloped in their world for so long, to see something so foreign, so archaic, so different from you, that you would think it’s almost inhuman what a human has been reduced to. Coming into contact with something that should not exist. Crazy. That’s as if though someone were to bring me a piece of flesh on a plate, and say, here, this is a piece of human flesh you are looking at, and expect me to do something with it. Then immediately, you have a realization: wait, that’s me floating around in there. and recognizing it as myself. Why would you bring me a plate of flesh, what do you expect me to do with it, I am human. Don’t hurt me. Are you going to put ME on a plate? Where did you get this, and what are you doing with it, right? You are put into that uncomfortable place, and so is phos. They are being turned human, without any real consent (it definitely foreshadowed their later transformation). Phos cannot realize this, because they don’t even know what a human is. Only what they have become.

[@rubyy.7374]

My theory: the hiatus will last 10,000 hours

[@NatalieXHunter]

I talked about that possibility in my other HnK video - it would mean we'd get the chapter in February, which at the time seemed too far away to be likely (I made that video in the summer) but now seems a lot more plausible!

[@rubyy.7374]

@@NatalieXHunter I don’t think anybody wants to entertain the possibility that we’d have to wait 400+ days. I sure didn’t! But with the hindsight we have, the length of the hiatus almost seems intentional. And I missed that part! Guess I’ll have to watch your HnK vids all over again, how unfortunate… (jkjk)

[@Oueenazolatigressgina]

Imagine if Ichikawa decides to be a troll and puts out another chapter where the suffering of phos is increased tenfold

[@hisle9188]

lololololol I just read the new chap today (chap 96) and oh god it is. he's in total isolation and didn't move in one place since the last chap. new gems that came to life are being turn into lunarians and some admirabilis are getting smaller to adapt because of the lack of food in the earth and they're losing their intelligence. and to top it all only euclase care for phos. not antarc, not cinnabar, not ghost. just euc. bort might also be but still can't tell.

[@CrashDunning]

Phos telling Adamant to break wasn't the reveal that he was seen as human. Ever since he got the pearl eye, the last piece of the three races, Adamant immediately became subservient to him, answering all his questions and ultimately living for him. At this point, Aechmea and most of the moon gems were also aware that Phos had been recognized as human by Adamant. The break scene was when Phos himself realized this and it seems as though he still hasn't pieced together everything he's been built up (pun intended) to be able to do. These 10,000 years are going to be a huge time for him to sit and process everything he's been put through.

[@GigasGalvantula]

oooooooooooooooooooooo Houseki video

[@3c0746]

The anime got me crying. And i don't cry that much

[@KSSoulseaker]

They need to bring back the anime following the manga is ok but I watch anime more than manga so I still need that season 2

[@NatalieXHunter]

Maybe they are waiting for the story to finish to adapt the rest of it in one season.

[@rajvirmalhans2073]

@@NatalieXHunter is it enough to fully adapt into one season?

[@garagara4849]

@@rajvirmalhans2073 It's enough for 2 more seasons (almost)

[@NatalieXHunter]

Or one two cour season, which they might prefer to do. Where it is entirely CGI it might actually be easier once they have the assets to do the whole thing in one go.

[@rajvirmalhans2073]

@@NatalieXHunter ya I meant rather 1 season 2 cours. They can cut some stuff here and there to adapt and rearrange. Like approaches can go either like say Kaguya sama and how they adapt the manga or how Komi san is adapted (parts with rearranging vs entirely and in order)

[@leonardomarquesbellini]

I just hope Phos ends up happy

[@lightdarkequivalent7143]

True Ending - a rouge planet crashes through both the earth and moon

[@amandamaglio6838]

It reminds me of real life. One "enlightened" being in a position of power sees sweet, gentle, specially gifted entity and forces them into suffering until they follow the rules. Torture until you obey. Yup sounds just like the States.

[@Gooberwares]

Love your gem form

[@rodimusunicronus2089]

I am quite curious if the lunarians are able to restore antar out of the space dust ,could it be possible they restore phos original part to somehow use it to make phos prey

[@thevillainousqueenofhearts4976]

Can’t watch cuz I’m an anime only 🤧

[@technotoister]

nice nice vid... but why do u sound like you'd voice somethin' like siri or google?

[@scasny]

if we follow Buddhism teaching i think we yet to see themes of karma and rebirth. The cycle is driven by ignorance, desire and hatred, also there is some significance in six meteors as the process of rebirth occurred in six realms. But i dont think there will be a happy ending, most what make sense is that gems that become Lunarians find peace same as Shiro and Phos that become a deity can do possibly anything. The best writing is when you dont know what is going to happened next.

[@epicjonny155]

Have you seen the latest chapters?

[@CaseNumber00]

HnK > Beastars I hope they make another season.

[@NatalieXHunter]

I think they probably will when it ends - if the general thought that there are only a few chapters left is correct. I think that may be why there hasn't been a season 2 yet. It seems like they could do the rest of the story in one season (especially if it's a two cour season), so that might be why it hasn't happened yet even though S1 did well.

[@jackoff-18]

@@NatalieXHunter I don't agree there is enough chapters for season 2 and 3 maybe if they make them it will take at least 3 years and by that time the manga would end

[@orthoshroud8453]

Yay

[@glitchy3400]

The lunarians are rather selfish.

[@jackoff-18]

I'm pretty sure the manga would end in the last chapter it's seems like the most logical way to me idk

[@Firedrake-SP]

I personally wish Houseki No Kuni would end with Phos marrying Cinnabar, and Diamond marrying Bort.

[@NatalieXHunter]

I suppose it could, given Lunarians have the concept of marriage and everyone except Phos is a Lunarian, but I don't think it will.

[@flapflapflapflap]

*not in a 10,000 years

[@Kyss111]

You know it won't happen

[@lykos2738]

I feel like something is wrong with me. Like maybe I've read this story incorrectly or maybe I'm not empathetic enough. Essentially everyone is hoping that Phos will have a happy ending. Why? Phos is literally the worst. I'd say that they are even worse than Enma. Phos is a Judas, a murderer (Phos absorbed Cinnabar after the fight so Cinnabar definitely didn't get resurrected by the Lunarians), an ingrate, a manipulator. Not to mention turning the Gems against each other. You could say that it's Lapis' fault but Phos was already rebelling before the transplant. I honestly don't see how Phos can be redeemed after turning on Adamant, an omni benevolent being that saved Phos more than once and loved them unconditionally. As for how it will end. What I'm hoping for is for Phos to suffer eternally alone wracked with guilt over their monstrous actions but more than likely Antarc will talk Phos into praying for the Lunarians. Or we'll see a convergence of all the races, the Lunarians, the Admirabilis, and the Ice Floes and that will restore humanity but I don't think that'll be the case, I don't think that's the direction the author is going. Just think all of this tragedy could've been avoided if Phos had just gone to sleep for the winter.

[@mangg0879]

Yeah there is something wrong with you

[@aiperas4162]

You need to understand phos point of view , phos just wanted to know the truth of them losing each other to wars between them and the lunarians, phos didn't hate admant they just wanted him to pray they went to the moon to make pray so they can all live happily but things went out of hand and he started to lose his mind

[@Oueenazolatigressgina]

You seriously must be nuts, Phos was backstabbed, manipulated, mocked, tortured and isolated by nearly everyone whom he knew, his identity, sanity and practically everything was stolen from him only to be turned into a prayer machine by the Lunarians, either you failed to see what phos had to go through or there is seriously something wrong with you. Phos did all of this so that he could live happily with the other gems and so that the Lunarians would peacefully pass on to the afterlife but everything escalated out of his control

[@allyli1718]

I think you need to read a little more critically. From the gems’ perspective, Kongou is an Omni benevolent being because he’s the one who taught them how to be and loved them. However, the gems were basically blank slates who didn’t have any expectations on how life should be, so they really don’t have a measure of comparison to see if Kongo and his teachings are as good as they think it is. For instance, the reason why the gems all look the same shape and wear the powder is because Kongo literally cuts off parts of them to make them look like how he wants them to look. He says it’s for equality, but imagine someone cutting off your feet to make you shorter so that you’d be equal height to your fellow citizens. I’m not saying that he was wrong for shaping them this way, what I’m saying is that I don’t think we can trust the gems’ perspective that he’s a good teacher because he’s the only teacher they’ve ever had. Questions like ‘maybe Kongo shouldn’t have carved my legs to make me equal’ don’t even occur to them because they have nothing to compare his actions to. They just think ‘Kongo says this is the way things are’ and go with it. And this comes to a head when Phos finds out Kongo didn’t tell them vital information, confirming their prior suspicions that perhaps Kongo isn’t as perfect as they think he is. In many ways, the author is paralleling the gem relationship to Kongo with a child’s relationship with a groomer. I’m not saying that Kongo is actually grooming them intentionally, but rather that the author inserted elements of grooming into his relationship with the gems to cast doubt on Kongo. These elements include: the fact that both gems and children are blank slates, so they’ll accept flawed worldviews because they don’t know any better; the fact that the gems look way more childlike in the art style compared to the adult looking Kongo; the fact that the gems are isolated from others peoples, preventing them from learning other points of views, like how groomed children are often isolated from peers or don’t have strong support networks; the extra love and validation groomers give to the children they’re grooming. The more obvious clue is the fact that Kongo looks exactly like an actual groomer (who eventually reforms) from the author’s previous work, which was called ‘Star Lover.’ In star lover, the Kongo-looking character also molded a non human species into behaving how he thought they should act, however in this story he molded them to be his mother/daughter/lover, which is just literally grooming. By the end, he learns that he was wrong to do this to someone who was a developing person (even if they weren’t human), and he starts over to actually raise them right. Kongo also parallels Enma, who more explicitly grooms Cairngorm into being his bizarre wife and intentionally manipulated Phos’ lack of information for his own gain at the expense of the gems. So yeah, the author intentionally set up Kongo to be a more ambiguous character who may have been molding the gems in less than perfect ways for less than perfect reasons (possibly selfish ones). With this in mind, it becomes a lot more understandable/less morally black and white when Phos, who is someone who’s been hurt the most by his version of gem society, breaks him. A lot of the story is intentionally ambiguous like this, so coming out thinking that Phos was solely evil for what they’ve done speaks to you flattening out ambiguity to arrive at your conclusions, which isn’t necessary a bad thing, it just means you might not understand/foresee/like certain future plot points because you’re not exactly reading it the way it was intended. Especially since the story implies that Phos had always been a victim to outside molding that they couldn’t foresee (aka Enma), and therefore that no matter what Phos did, something bad was bound to happen as long as Enma was around. SPOILERS FOR THE CHAPTER THAT CAME OUT RECENTLY. For instance, it’s been revealed that Kongo is literally willing to let Phos live a tortured existence for 10000 years (an eternity in his eyes) for his own gain, and that Kongo had been old friends with Enma all along, confirming that he did mold act in some capacity for his own selfish reasons and that it may or may not have been related to Enma’s plans. If that’s not proof that he isn’t as Omni benevolent as the gems thought he was, I don’t know what is.

[@lykos2738]

@@allyli1718 Phos made that choice for Adamant (and this is after Adamant rebuilt Phos after their defection to the Lunarians). Seriously where is the line? Every single Phos defender believes Phos essentially has no free will and that every single thing they've ever done was a result of a grand Machiavellian conspiracy. Is Phos accountable for anything? Rutile and Padparadscha? Playing on Diamond's insecurities and turning them against Bort? Anything?

[@RevolutionaryLoser]

The last chapter will release in Summer 12021