✦ god i love karma (alnst)

so karma was released pretty recently, and the heavenly song aside, the lore and stuff really tickles my pickle and strums my bum

there's a lot of symbolism in that particular episode that you wouldn't immediately get after one watch (i didn't) but basically, tallying every comic, official art, and episode together, the main theme of ALIEN STAGE is, in general, the theme of love. human love.

it's beautiful, hopeful, fulfilling, empowering, and yet so consuming and flawed at the same time. mizi, in between song lyrics, expresses the hopelessness of it all; says, referring to the world where they could've lived normally (seen in WIEGE), that even if they would've been given that much freedom, they'd have still felt alone, because all the loneliness, toxicity, pain, roots back to humanity itself. 

"we're creatures who can't seem to love without exploiting, she says. because it's true. we give and take in love, and while that's usually nothing out of the ordinary, sometimes the selfishness in the soul leads us to take too much, or force on too much. this reflects in each of the characters/ships.

IVANTILL - as much as it's unintentional and he doesn't know any better, hasn't been raised to know any better, IVAN forces his affections onto TILL. he hasn't interfered with his little "crush" on mizi, sure, but his forceful actions in certain instances still suggest a pressuring air. 

MIZISUA - their relationship is reciprocal, but their dynamic is still toxic; MIZI bears the mindset she developed while under shine's care, who views everything in a cutesy light, disregarding the darkness, neglecting MIZI and calling her suffering "adorable", hurting her. MIZI soon comes to see love as a scenario where one has to hurt or "crush" another, literally. she wanted to go to ANAKT GARDEN and participate in ALIEN STAGE for that particular purpose, to find someone to "crush", because she was sick of being the one crushed. she wishes for control, fleeing from the place where she was constantly watered down to something similar to a pretty doll. she finds SUA, who embraces her toxicity way too openly, seemingly trapped in their love but also free at the same time. their love is strong, enough to crush. that's the issue.

HYULUKA - somewhat blatantly toxic. a similar situation, where he wasn't raised to know any better about human emotion and affection, LUKA's feelings towards HYUNA are almost a hyperfixation, and obsession. he takes what he wants from HYUNA and bombards her with his own weird ministrations, thinking it's what love is. HYUNA has mixed feelings for LUKA, uncomfortable with his pressuring love but at the same time loving him just enough not to leave. her death was a lesson for him overdue for teaching; that sometimes, actions have consequences. 

there's one particular character i didn't mention; TILL. he's shown as alive 7 years after the tragedy, seeming to have joined the rebellion, yes? he's the only one left. why? because out of all of them, he's the most human of them all. despite not quite grasping the concept, TILL knows most about love, because he was taught. love doesn't always come naturally, sometimes you have to know what it's like to be loved before you can learn how to love someone else like that. 

TILL's provider, IO, taught till what it means to love. showed him love even when hearing his songs were probably such a hope-sucking situation, knowing that TILL's knowledge and talent would bring him misfortune. she embraced his songs, sung along with him, stayed with him until she could no longer hold on. love is complicated, but IO tried her best to convey it to TILL, hoped that her actions wouldn't leave this poor product too lonely, hoped that he'd learn to love another, and he wouldn't be alone.

now, as we see TILL infiltrating the ALIEN STAGE MUSEUM, specifically the viewing hall, containing the biological combinations of multiple contestants (children made with the blood samples of at least two former contestants), maybe he can pass it on. love these empty-eyed, clueless children, so that they could learn to love themselves, other people, and so on. because love is for more than one person.

ALIEN STAGE showcases the flaws, but also the fulfillment of the emotion that is love. every side, every angle, every possible nook and cranny. it took a while, but it made a phenomenal series. ill forever love VIVIMENG for the production of ALIEN STAGE, and i can't believe it's really over. i hope they'll still make little tidbits of media every now and then, keep the characters as alive as they can possibly be. keep the love alive.


ALSO TILL IS ALIVE I TOLD YOU ALL EVEYRBODY TOLD ME I WAS CRAZY BLAH BLAH BLAH

also also dont mind the category i honestly didnt know what to pick and what would fit