Shen Jiu And Shen Yuan

Shen Jiu and Shen Yuan

I know the svsss fandom jokes about Shen Qingqiu/Yuan being like Helen of Troy because he has a tendency to wifebeam himself. But what about Shen Jiu as Clytemnestra? Helen of Troy was the more universally known/liked one out of the two. Clytemnestra is practically Helen of Troy's shadow of a sister. Clytemnestra wasn't the face that launched a thousand ships to Troy. Instead her story is filled with betrayals that lead to her death by her son. It's similar to how Shen Jiu was killed by Bingge. Shen Jiu essentailly plays a parental figure to Bingge, but Bingge seeing how violent Shen Jiu could be, swears revenge and kills him. Just like how Orestes saw that Clytemnestra killed his father and swore revenge. Killing her in the end. You could even go as far as saying that Agamemnon abandoning Clytemnestra is similar to how Yue Qingyuan failed to come back for Shen Jiu.

Another interesting to note is that in the end, Orestes, who killed Clytemnestra, was acquitted by the gods. An eerie parallel to how PIDW fans would go to lengths to forgive Luo Bingge's crimes.

My Roman empire is that despite Kim Dokja being a loving and caring man at the core, he cannot muster up any love for himself as a whole. We, the readers, aka Kim Dokja fragments, can love him through all his faults. But Kim Dokja as a whole can never love himself. No matter how much his companions and the readers do.

Truly the greatest thing to ever happen to the fandom

doing my part to make the blue eye samurai fandom worse

LET THEM COOK

actual analysis to come but I’m being so serious when I say I’m onto something here and it’s profound

Theory on Mizu's heritage

After the season finale, we see Mizu go on a boat to find the other white men who could possibly be her father. But, one theory that has been brought up is that her mother is of European descent and that her father is the Shogun. It would make an interesting twist.

People have brought up that Lady Ito would do anything to make people forget that her husband had been dealing with Western traders. She even makes her son lock the door behind them, trapping the nobles because they saw Fowler. Evidence of the Shogun's dealings with the West. But you know whole else they saw? Mizu, a half Japanese, half white person. More evidence of her Husband's dealings, and evidence of a forbidden affair.

When Mizu confronts Fowler, he notes that he isn't sure if Mizu's his child because he was sure he counted all of his bastard children. I doubt that Mizu is his child because it would make things too easy. Besides, we should talk about the bounty on Mizu's head. Mizu's "mom" isn't actually her mom. Fowler says that she was a maid, and that Mizu's heritage is much more complicated than that. The bounty on Mizu's head wouldn't make sense if Fowler did it because he doesn't even recall her. Plus, Mizu believes that her mother was most likely a commoner, and her mom is dead. So I doubt her own mother put a bounty on her head. Also the bounty was implied to be a very high one. Also, Mizu's "mom" was revealed to be a maid. Since white people don't have power in the Edo Period, I doubt the maid came from her European heritage. It likely came from the Japanese side. Perhaps the Shogun felt some sympathy for the child of his affair, and paid a maid to take care of Mizu.

Regarding who put the bounty on Mizu's head, it was most likely Lady Ito. Of course she would want the evidence of an affair killed off, she's constantly sadistic towards Akemi, her daughter in law. Again, I doubt a white person put a bounty on Mizu's head because of their lack of power. Why would the Japanese people listen to a foreigner's demand? But, if it came from the Empress, it would be more appealing. Plus, it was to a point where Mizu had to pretend to be a boy so that it could throw off the bounty hunters. So that implies the bounty was very high, something that Lady Ito could afford.

This just leaves one factor though. There were only 4 white men let into Japan, so where could Mizu's mom be? I have 2 theories. One of them is that while the 4 men were let in, there was nothing said about their wives. Often times, traders would bring their wives along with them. I doubt the Shogun would have cared if the men brought their wives because Edo Japan did not see women as people, and therefore they were no problems. My second theory is that one of the 4 white men was actually a woman crossdressing. While women crossdressing was uncommon, it wasn't unheard of if they needed to gather more power. Joan of Arc being an example. Mizu also dresses like a man to have more power because women did not have power. I also believe that there are historical examples of women being raised like sons because they were to be the heirs of their families. It's definitely possible. Besides, it would be a nice twist to see that Mizu had been searching for the wrong thing. Instead of searching for a white man, she should have been searching for a white woman.

Incorrect quotes

Mizu: Before I am a woman, I am a menace to society

Taigen: *Whips his head around* YOU'RE TELLING ME YOU'RE ACTUALLY A WOMAN?!?!

Mizu: Do you have a problem?-

Taigen: OH THANK THE GODS! Now I don't have to have a crisis about being attracted to a man.

Mizu: Wtf-

-

Young Mizu: But Swordfather, how did you know I was a social outcast?

Master Eiji: Child, if you weren't a social outcast, you would not have had to act like a rat and freeload at my house.

-

Akemi: *sobbing because of her failed engagement to Taigen*

Ringo: *trying to comfort her* Aw, well I'm sure you can find someone else like him.

Akemi: No, you don't understand. I'll never find someone like him.

Ringo: What was he like?

Akemi: Well, he was nice to me.

Ringo: You could buy a dog...???

Akemi: That's not helping.

Ringo: *Under his breath* At least a dog wouldn't celebrate your engagement at a brothel.

Akemi: What?

Ringo: What?

-

Taigen: I feel as if I've disappointed you.

Akemi: Oh, don't worry Taigen. You already disappoint me on the daily.

-

Mizu: Ringo, did you know that atoms don't touch each other? And since we're made out of atoms, I never actually committed murder?

Ringo: Master, you used a sword to stab people. Not your bare hands.

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Shindo: Abijah, the man I met was no man. He was a monster.

Mizu: I have something crazy to say-

Fowler: Why tf did his ribs break like a woman then?