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manager-dante · 10 months

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i need to flesh this out once i’ve mulled it over more but i adore how limbus company expands on the incredible world-building of project moon, because it is so goddamn realistic.

from the outset the player is presented with this incredibly bleak world in which corporations have become the state. the poor and the desperate bow their heads and toil at the altar of the free market. worth is measured by talent in exploitation. it’s a social darwinist’s wet dream. i also think the choice to base the cast off of literary figures was amazing, because it highlights very important connections to the past. i haven’t read all the books referenced, but the ones i have (the metamorphosis, don quixote de la mancha, & the odyssey so far) draw an unmistakable through-line from the suffering and exploitation depicted in those books to that which occurs in the city. the most horrifying parts of this game in my opinion aren’t the monsters or the machines — it’s the sheer enormity of human suffering which exists in the economic and political system the city operates under. and that’s the worst part, because in so many ways, the suffering and exploitation portrayed in the city is not a hypothetical fantasy — this is just capitalism working as intended. it’s not confined to the historical context of those books, nor the gritty sci-fi horror of the game.

but not only do we have this incredible setting that’s somehow both brutally realistic and fantastical at the same time, we also get to see how our main cast attempts to survive in that world — and ultimately how none of their attempts to change it succeeded at all.

in my mind, canto i portrays how neither kindness nor cold-heartedness will help you survive — especially through the dynamic between aya and hopkins. gregor has been both. he was a war hero in a meaningless war. after it ended, he was discarded as any tool which had outlived its usefulness would be. he can’t even control his arm from becoming a killing machine. and yet, gregor is still exceptionally personable, even going out of his way to be kind at times. but no matter whether he’s a tool for violence in the hands of war profiteers or simply a man doing his best to protect others, he still couldn’t save yuri — just as he couldn’t save his comrades — and this clearly haunts him. neither the war nor its end changed anything.

canto ii shows between rodya and sonya how both direct action and an “inevitable” revolution fail to quell the suffering of the vulnerable. sonya’s revolution is all bluster and no action. he does nothing to help the people in his community in favor of this grandiose revolution that must happen at the “right moment” — even if it means leaving his neighbors to starve in the meantime. rodya’s inspired yet short-sighted action to remove what she saw as the source of her community’s suffering only led to its destruction: the tax collector was a branch, not the root, of the problem, and killing one person did nothing to stop the system which upheld them.

canto iii is even more clear-cut in the ties between sinclair and kromer: neither violent zealotry nor blissful ignorance will save you in the city. kromer’s cult does not “purify” anything, but sinclair’s courage to stand up to her isn’t enough to beat her either. canto iii still doesn’t end in a victory. dante and the sinners barely survive. it’s only through demian (and k-corp’s) divine intervention that the sinners and kromer don’t destroy each other in the corpse pit.

in the most recent addition, canto iv appears to do the same thing. on one hand, you have the devotion to a principle shown through shrenne, samjo, and donbaek. their causes are different, but their devotion is the same. on the other, there is the cynicism, indifference, and escapism of yi sang and dongrang, both willingly complicit in the machine in different ways. and yet — none of them make any positive difference. whether they resisted or submitted, the machine grinds on around them — the only choices are to become a cog in it or be ground to bits by its gears.

to be clear, i do not think the game is arguing that none of these individual actions matter. even if gregor couldn’t rescue yuri, even if rodya couldn’t protect her neighbors, even if sinclair couldn’t defeat kromer and all that she stood for, even if the league of nine members each failed to realize their ideals — limbus argues that it matters they tried. it matters that they’re still trying. it may never be possible to oust the corporate overlords and make the city a better place, but the love still matters.

#canto four spoilers #canto iv spoilers #canto iv #THIS IS ILL THOUGHT OUT SORRY #bad metaposting moments #i just need it Out my brain or ill Esplode #limbus company

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calitsnow · 10 months

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Let’s talk about the end of Canto IV and the identity of Dante

Summary :

-Introduction 1.New perspective on the character of Demian 2. Dante and Saint Exupéry 3.Sinclair and the snake: symbol of his incoming death 4. The stars = people 5. Make connections, find friends 6. But in the end what about the sheep?

At the end of canto IV (which was extraordinary) we were treated to a very interesting little “post credits” scene: Dante and Demian talking together and the latter saying a very interesting sentence:

« Just draw me a sheep later »

This sentence just awakened flashbacks of my high school years because this sentence is of course a reference to one of the most famous sentences of Saint-Exupery's Little Prince. In the “Little Prince”, the character of the same name asks the author, who is also the narrator and a character in the book, to draw him a sheep to protect his rose.

But what does this mean for Dante? It is still too early to come to a conclusion, but we can still look at several elements that this new information could highlight.

1. The character of Demian

Although Demian is, of course, inspired by the character of Demian from the book “Demian” by Herman Hesse, it could be possible that he is also inspired by the character of the Little Prince.

Why?

First, the sentence quoted above is a sentence resembling one that is spoken by the Little Prince in the book, as I said at the beginning. However, this is not the only resemblance between Demian and the Little Prince.

Just in terms of appearance we can see a similarity: the scarf that Demian wears around his neck could be a reference to the Little Prince's scarf which is often represented as floating, like Demian's.

Demian is also related to a character who is related to a snake. I am of course talking about the character of Emil Sinclair where we can see a snake behind him in his image.

Although the snake is mostly a reference to the original sin in Hesse's work, I can't help but think that this snake could also be a reference to the snake of “The Little Prince”.

2.Dante and Saint Exupery

But then if Demian is like the Little Prince and he asks Dante to draw him a sheep, would Dante be inspired by Saint-Exupery? Since it is him who draws a sheep to the Little Prince. Maybe…

It is interesting to note that the interactions between Demian and Dante are very similar to that of the Little Prince and Saint-Exupery:

Demian says cryptic things and responds in the same way to Dante's questions, who remain perplexed in front of him. Sometimes Demian ignores or does not even answer Dante's questions. It's very similar to the many scenes between the author and his blonde-haired friend, one asks many questions while the other responds in a "strange" way or ignores them altogether.

What is interesting is that Saint Exupery is the author and a character of his book which makes him a unique case. Plus it should remind you of someone: Dante from “The Divine Comedy”. Where the other 12 sinners are either inspired by a character or the author of their respective works, they are never inspired by someone who is both. Only Dante find themself in this case.

Another element supports this theory linking “The Little Prince” to Dante: the sentence they said to Sinclair when the latter was about to join Kromer:

These sentences are, I’m sure, a reference to a famous quote of another very important character in “The Little Prince”: the Fox

« Here is my secret. It is very simple: we only see well with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye. »

The fox explains that the true perception and understanding of things is not done through the eyes, but with the heart. He emphasizes that the very essence of things, their true value and beauty, can only be perceived by having an inner vision, an emotional connection.

But then, Dante would be the Fox?

As you can see I am more of the opinion that Dante are inspired by the author and not by the Fox but then why do they pronounce words belonging to the Fox. Well I think Dante said the fox’s words because they remembered them unconsciously because it was a moral that touched the narrator in “The Little Prince” and could have touched them in the same way. The Fox could belong to Dante’s past.

This would be why, I think, Demian repeats these words before intervening against Kromer, he recognised them.

3.Sinclair and the snake? A symbol of his incoming death?

A brief parenthesis on Sinclair. Demian says a very enigmatic sentence to Dante regarding Sinclair:

“When he becomes one with beautiful stars…”

Although I think this phrase refers to the fact that when Sinclair will able to see entirely with his heart and not his eyes, then he will "be one with the stars" I also have another interpretation.

This turn of phrase strongly reminds me of a passage from the book (WARNING! SPOILERS REGARDING THE END OF THE LITTLE PRINCE):

At the end of the book the little prince dies from the bite of the snake, thus leaving his body and now able to join B612 — his star. At that moment, the little prince joined the stars and "became" his star. In the book it is mentioned that when a person dies they become a star in the sky. This suggests an idea of continuity and eternal presence beyond earthly life.

This supports the idea that the stars represent each existing individual but also that the stars symbolize the immortality of the soul.

So Sinclair should become a star and one with all the others by dying? Does this sentence announce his death?

Small additional detail: Sinclair strangely resembles the Little Prince from the little we know about him. The only physical detail we have of the Little Prince is that he looks like a child and has wheat-blonde hair.

So yes, blond hair is not the ultimate proof that Sinclair would also be linked to “The Little Prince” because it is not difficult to meet this criterion, as a proof Don Quixote could also very well correspond. But taking into account that Sinclair is already linked with Demian and has an element that distinguishes him from other sinners: the mark of Cain + these mysterious similarities between him and “The Little Prince”, it was worth mentioning.

Additionally, Sinclair is associated with the color green; the color that is often associated with the Little Prince because of his clothes. And the color green used for Sinclair is named: immature green, although this could be a reference to Sinclair's egg, hatching, self-development theme associated with Demian, why not considering that "immature" is a reference to the character of the Little Prince who can be seen as immature because he does not sound like an adult and behaves like a child even in the face of serious situations. I think it's worth looking into.

Also I thinh that this "theory" could also highlight a moment of Hell Chicken: I'm talking about when Sinclair's team (Faust and Outis in particular) comment on Sinclair's height and the various reasons why Sinclair isn't likely to grow taller than that. This comment about Sinclair's height implying that Sinclair remains small even for his age could be a clue to his connection to the Little Prince by making him look like "a child"

4. The stars

I would now like to address the theme of the stars, which is a very important element in the book as in Limbus Company, as Canto IV was able to confirm.

For the Little Prince, the stars are more than just bright spots in the sky. They symbolize the infinite and the inaccessible, awakening in him a feeling of wonder and escape. They offer him a sense of connection with something greater than himself, transporting him beyond.

If we want to connect the phrase "seeing with the heart rather than the eyes" and the stars, we can mention this passage:

The Little Prince observes the stars and says: "All these stars are mine. To me alone. They make me laugh every time I think about them."

It shows how the Little Prince finds meaning and a deep connection with the stars by seeing them with his heart, which allows him to feel joy and wonder. Strangely this is exactly what we saw in Canto IV, and at the same time its exact opposite.

When we were talking about the tale and the "tearful star" singularity, we could see that the stars were also seen as a symbol of hope and joy in the Limbus’ world as is the case for the Little Prince. However, K corp's singularity does the exact opposite of what the stars are for in The Little Prince: it cries in their place. Where the stars of “The Little Prince” are associated with joy, here it is associated with sadness. But is this really the case?

In truth, this star could also be seen as a mean to bring joy or at least to prevent people from feeling sadness by crying for them. This star would therefore be similar to the stars of the Little Prince in this sense.

However in "The Little Prince", the stars can also be interpreted as representing people in a metaphorical way. The Little Prince encounters various stars throughout his journey, and each of them is home to a unique person. It can be seen as a representation of the individuals he meets in his life. By focusing on the stars, Saint-Exupéry emphasizes the importance of human diversity and individuality. Each star and each person has an intrinsic value and contributes to the richness of the universe. The Little Prince himself learns to appreciate the uniqueness of each star, just as he learns to understand and love the different people he meets. This is something Dante are doing: they are learning to know the different sinners (and people) and to appreciate their uniqueness.

Each star, although distant and distinct, has a certain importance and its own identity. In the same way, each person we meet in our own existence is unique, with their own experiences, emotions and perspectives. Which is, I think, a very underlined subject in Limbus Company and that’s not all:

“I wonder,” he said, “if the stars are lit so that everyone can one day find their own.”

For Saint-Exupéry, the object of the quest, the star, is closely linked to the personality and experience of each of us.

“People have stars that are not the same.”

Guides, little lights, problems, precious metal… depending on whether you are a pilot, spectator, scientist or businessman. But for a star to become ours, for the Truth to make mystery beautiful as the invisible rose makes the star beautiful, it must become the seat of our most personal desire, the receptacle of our hopes and of our memories.

To inhabit our star with a meaning that is unique to us, to make it different and to be able to evoke it in the darkest night, it is essential to seek to know oneself with determination, like the Little Prince who "does not never gave up on a question once he had asked it.”

Knowing how to take the time to explore, to step aside “Straight ahead, you can’t go very far.” to be able to assess yourself.

This work on oneself to populate a star with one's hopes is not done without pain. It can bring more disappointment than pride and lead us, like the Little Prince, to cry over the banality of our character:

“I thought I was rich in a unique flower, and I only have an ordinary rose (...) it doesn’t make me a very great prince. And lying in the grass, he cried. That’s when the fox appeared.”

I find this process of acceptance and self-discovery reminiscent of Limbus Company's notion of E.G.O and Fathom of the E.G.O where each sinner learns to make peace with a part of themselves and break the cycle. He doesn't have to reject a part of himself or keep only the "good" in him. He learns to accept it and live with it to make it a source of light for his star, even if it sometimes has to go through a difficult acceptance of a truth or trying trials.

5. Make connections, find friends

I wonder if the notion of « taming » will be mentioned in Limbus Company?

The word « taming » does not have the same meaning as what we might give it on a daily basis. When the fox explains to the Little Prince what « taming » means, he says to him:

"It's something too forgotten, says the fox. It means creating links..."

Taming represents a process where one establishes a deep emotional connection with someone or something, and it is through this heart connection that one can truly see and understand.

The fox explains to the Little Prince the importance of taming, which involves investing time, attention and affection in creating deep and meaningful bonds with others.

The fox also emphasizes the responsibility that comes with taming by saying,

"You become responsible forever for what you have tamed."

The fox explains to the little prince that when you tame someone or something, you become responsible for this relationship. It emphasizes the importance of caring for those you love and cultivating lasting bonds.

Furthermore in "The Little Prince", the themes of loneliness and friendship take center stage.

The Little Prince often feels lonely during his interplanetary travels, as he is the only one of his kind and finds himself far from his planet and his beloved rose. However, as he encounters various characters, he discovers friendship and the power of human connection.

It is in particular thanks to his friendship with the fox that he understands the importance of emotional ties and the need to bond with others.

The book thus explores loneliness as a universal experience, while emphasizing the vital importance of friendship and human relationships in filling this feeling of emptiness. It reminds us that deep and sincere connections with others are essential for our growth and our understanding of the world around us.

So I may be a blind optimist but I feel like this idea fits well with Dante and the bus members:

Even if it's complicated and there's still a long way to go, each member of the bus are becoming close and are developping a bond that could be seen as a form of friendship. And after all as the fox said; it takes time, affection and attention to create this special bond. Every day Dante can sit a little closer to each Sinners respecting their rhythm as the little prince did for the fox.

However, this would mean that Dante could start to feel a sense of responsibility that accompanies the birth of this bond.

In fact, Dante already feels this responsibility but they associate it with their role as a manager who must guide their employees. However I think that Dante could soon see this feeling of responsibility as a feeling that accompanies what they have "tamed" and thus realize that it is not because they are a manager that they feel the need to take care of the Sinners but indeed because a lasting bond is borned between them.

6. But in the end, what about the sheep?

The sheep represents desire / expectations and creativity.

The metaphor of drawing according to Saint-Exupery tells us that, forced to live in a world of realism, we fail to guess and describe this Truth that attracts us: his attempts to realistically draw a sheep fail to satisfy the Little Prince’s desire.

The Little Prince does not only want a sheep, he wants a sheep capable of protecting his rose by eating the trees. Under the surface of this drawing hides the object of the Little Prince’s desire and therefore of our existence as he says in Chapter IV, strange when we know that Demian also asks us for a sheep in Canto IV

“When you want a sheep, it’s proof that you exist”

Would Demian then ask Dante to give him a solution to his problem of realizing his desire? Is this “Truth” linked to the quest of Dante regarding their memories, an attempt to regain the Truth and in a sense gaining back their existence?

The sheep could also be linked to the sacrificial lamb in the Bible, I don’t really know where this information could take us but since the sacred texts are at the core of Project moon’s works it’s always good to mention. Furthermore, the other common point between the Bible and “The Little Prince” is the fact that The Bible is the most translated book in the world but “The Little Prince” is the second one.

#limbus company #project moon #dante #dante limbus company #demian #demian limbus company #emil sinclair #sinclair #Sinclair Limbus company #The Little Prince #This is a theory / essay #Canto IV #Canto IV spoilers for the end

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