Unknown's Red Thread Of Fate

Unknown's Red Thread of Fate

@chicademartinica already pointed out the significance of red in Unknown, but I'm here to offer some more visuals to support that the red symbolizes the connection between Qian and Yuan.

The entire first episode is about fate.

Qian leaves his house simply stating he'll be back and takes a path down a red lit street.

Throughout the episode, he talks about how rich kids have the luxury of innocence but poor kids are left to fate.

And at the end of his journey, we meet Yuan for the first time sitting in front of a red wall.

Which is exactly the same path Qian took when he found Yuan the first time he met him.

They head back to the house together up the same red path Qian just walked alone.

Once they get back to the house, Qian gives his siblings red envelopes. It isn't for a ghost marriage like in the Taiwanese film Marry My Dead Body nor does it mean trouble is brewing like in the Taiwanese series Oh No! Here Comes Trouble. It's simply a New Year's tradition to wish prosperity and happiness on the receiver.

But the first time Qian received a red envelope while staring hungrily at a group of men eating, he took it for his family knowing the conditions that came with it.

And Yuan, although not as dire, did the same. Unlike Lili, he put the money aside, for the family.

(But fate has other things in store for Lili)

Because although they are all family, Qian and Yuan are connected, so while Qian runs to his family without hesitation,

Yuan runs for his family without any thought of himself.

And that's exactly what San Pang points out. Not only is Yuan named after Qian making their names the same, but they are the same. They are both stubborn. They are both smart. They both do everything for their families. They never think of themselves. They only listen to each other.

But somewhere along the way, something changed. They are no longer exactly the same.

Much like Yuan, Qian has always been intelligent, but when he was younger, he was abused.

And that abuse haunts him.

So red bothers him.

Because it reminds him of the abuse.

And the people who caused it.

To him, and his family.

Yet when it comes to Yuan, the red never bothers Qian.

It's the thing that ties them together.

Even when Qian pushes Yuan away after Yuan confesses what has changed between them,

The red thread of fate will still connect them.

So when Yuan is gone, the bond between them will remain.

Because they are bound together.

It's fate.

i have such a love for characters who descend into madness or villainy out of deep, deep empathy. characters who fundamentally cannot cope with the cruel realities they find themselves in and blow up about it in spectacular fashion. fallen angel type characters with tears of outrage in their eyes. characters who break before they bend, and break so badly they splatter blood all over their noble ideals. every variation on it gets me so good

Writing a song from a story, "You in the Starry Sky", about a young woman and her best friend

[eng by me]

Let's talk about misdirection.

Misdirection in storytelling, through foreshadowing and other techniques, is a powerful tool that can enhance suspense, surprise, and engagement in your narrative and make plot twists more unexpected.

Remember to maintain coherence and avoid contrivances that may undermine the integrity of your storytelling.

Here are some techniques you can use to effectively misdirect readers:

Red Herrings: Introduce elements or clues that suggest a certain outcome or plot direction, only to later reveal that they were misleading. These false leads can divert readers' attention away from the true resolution.

Selective Detailing: Highlight certain details or events in a way that implies their significance, while downplaying or omitting others that might be more relevant to the actual outcome. By controlling what information readers focus on, you can steer their expectations.

Character Misdirection: Use characterisation to mislead readers about characters' true intentions, motivations, or identities. Create multi-dimensional characters who may behave ambiguously or inconsistently, leaving readers unsure of their true allegiances, motivations, or goals.

Foreshadowing: Employ foreshadowing to hint at future events or outcomes, but do so in a way that misleads interpretation. Provide clues that could be interpreted in multiple ways or that lead readers to expect one outcome while delivering another. (See my previous post about foreshadowing for more!)

Misleading Narration: Utilise an unreliable narrator or perspective to present events in a biased or distorted manner. Readers may trust the narrator's account implicitly, only to discover later that their perceptions were flawed or intentionally deceptive.

Subverting Tropes: Set up situations or scenarios that seem to follow familiar narrative tropes or conventions, only to subvert them in unexpected ways. This can keep readers guessing and prevent them from accurately predicting the story's trajectory.

Parallel Storylines: Introduce secondary storylines or subplots that appear unrelated to the main narrative but eventually intersect or influence the primary plot in unexpected ways. This can distract readers from anticipating the main storyline's developments.

Setting: Manipulate the setting or environment to create false impressions about the direction of the plot. For example, presenting a seemingly idyllic setting that harbors dark secrets or dangers.

Timing and Pacing: Control the pacing of your story to strategically reveal information or developments at opportune moments, leading readers to draw premature conclusions or overlook important details. (See my post on pacing for more tips!)

Twists and Reversals: Incorporate sudden plot twists or reversals that upend readers' expectations and challenge their assumptions about the story's direction. Ensure that these twists are logically consistent but sufficiently surprising to catch readers off guard.

Happy writing!

“don’t let it bother u” baby i’m gonna be bothered by this for the next 10 years