Divinaaquis:

divinaaquis:

Get back and fight? Don’t worry, he was.

With his long-range set of skills, he wasn’t exactly the best at close-hand combat like Lunarre. He had to think fast, and try to use little techniques to deceive him, create some distance, and make it a fair fight.

The ability was rather useful, however, it required quite a level of mana to perform. Mikleo was a water seraph and should be more than capable of pulling this off, sure, but each arte would take some toll. All he wants is to get this fox off his tail.  He stops when he hears the quick padding of his feet, and picks up a small rock, tossing it to rustle some grass further away from him.  He then ducked behind a body of trees. It took some convincing with himself, but he scales a tree, and hides in one of its sturdier limbs. 

He aims another freeze lancer then, hoping to make the fox to take a hit to the foot. If he could slow him down, he might have a chance. His luck was giving out now, as the barrier around him - that which made his body seem as clear as water and invisible to one’s eyes-  was fading into nothing again.

Lunarre’s ears pricked up as a rustling sound reached them. He stopped, eyes narrowed, gaze locked on the direction from which it had come - a clump of bushes. He smiled.

Did the brat really think he could hide from him?

He crouched low, then pounced.

But Lunarre’s sharp nails did not grab flesh, as expected. Instead, they seized nothing but shrubbery and earth. 

The seraph was not here. He’d been tricked.

Lunarre barely had time to react before an arrow of ice came hissing down from above and struck his foot, encasing it in ice. Lunarre clenched his teeth as the cold sank its teeth into his skin..

“Shit!”

Snarling in anger, Lunarre gripped the trapped foot and conjured flame from his palm, melting the ice enough to yank it free.

Blue flames crackled around his livid form as he searched the trees for the seraph. Nevermind eating him - Lunarre would make sure there would be nothing left but ash.

With ferocious energy, the hellion threw volley after volley of blue fireballs in the direction of where the arrow had come.

A Hellion with No Purpose

I swear making Lunarre an aimless, wise-cracking Observer of All was the worst thing they could have done for his character. Even in the games he had a drive, while not particularly explored or examined, he at the very least had one. Namely, vengeance.

The anime, on the other hand, stripped Lunarre of his loyalty to, betrayal of, and ultimately his desire for vengeance against, the Scattered Bones and his former boss Rose. It stripped him, also, of his desire to pursue Alisha for longer than the plot would allow. Three episodes in and suddenly Lunarre is more interested in sightseeing along with Alisha than having her for dinner.

In so doing, Lunarre becomes little more than a stand-in for the audience. An observer with little to no influence on the plot unless the plot or, more specifically, Alisha focus, demands. He even outright declares himself an observer, and has little ambition to move from his solitary perch overlooking the plot at all unless pushed.

The rest of the time Lunarre is content with muttering to himself about what he sees and how excited he is, like a good audience-stand-in. As the Observer of All he adds precious little to nothing to the flow of the plot nor to his own character as the story progresses. It makes his sudden attempt at redemption at the end utterly baffling.

Lunarre also has a strange and utterly baffling habit of constantly questioning his own motives for being in whatever location he planted himself in, as if self-aware that his actions, as a fictional character, are controlled by the gods that are the Writers and so forth.

Unfortunately, it seems that Lunarre’s constant questioning of himself, even manifesting as rhetorical questions when asked directly who he is and what he is doing in such-and-such a place.

Example: In episode 20 of Season 2, Maltran asks Lunarre who he is. Lunarre’s response is quite literally ‘I wonder?’ It doesn’t occur to him to simply answer with his name.

From my perspective, there are two main problems with his anime portrayal.

Problem #1: His Brief Appearance as a Human

We are shown Lunarre as a human, working under Rose’s leadership as a member of the Scattered Bones. If the game is anything to go on, then like in the game Lunarre will have by this point been with the guild for two years.

This alone completely fucks with Lunarre’s identity crisis, as it appears.

He is onscreen as a human 54 seconds. I know, I timed it, including the time in which he was masked, fighting Alisha. 

From what we saw, Lunarre was loyal to Rose and a keen fighter, though unable to match Alisha. 

That, coupled with the fact that he is a member of an assassin’s guild and has likely been such for two years straight, calls into question how he could be anything but serious in his belief that he belongs to the Scattered Bones, that he is part of it. 

You don’t join something like an assassin’s guild for the luls, and you certainly don’t stay there two years when you’re not sure if it’s really the job you see yourself doing long-term. Rose certainly wouldn’t have tolerated someone like that in her guild. Game!Lunarre certainly considered himself a member until his behaviour got him kicked out.

So why does he leave? And why does he suddenly become the most uncertain man in the entire Zestiria universe?

Lunarre, as in the game, never removes his assassin uniform. He keeps his tie to the guild despite so abruptly and nonsensically leaving it, and he bears no grudge or ill will towards it or Rose. Neither what little we saw of his human life nor his transformation into a hellion give the audience any indication that he transformed and went rogue other than because he’s batshit crazy. 

Yes, there was a slight indication that Rose’s comment could have set him off, but it’s one comment, with no history of similar comments or treatment that might have made this particular comment mean anything. It certainly doesn’t give the weight necessary to give credence to the fact that LUNARRE BECAME A HELLION because of it!

If we had been given more insight into what could have been a mind steadily disillusioned with the assassin lifestyle, a man realising he is, for whatever reason (let’s say skill) the black sheep of the organisation. We could have seen how he feels belittled by Rose, perhaps, or underappreciated, or lacking in fulfillment. It would have gone a long way to explaining why Lunarre became a hellion after Rose told him he was ‘no match’ for Alisha.

Perhaps that is what they were going for, but it is so poorly conveyed it goes unnoticed under the maniacal cackling from the newly-transformed fox hellion.

Problem #2: No Time, No Effort, No Shits Given (Until it’s Too Late)

The identity crisis could have been a very interesting. it could have been a rare, intimate insight into a more in-control hellion’s mind. 

Lack of time and focus on him, even through other characters, who by and large forgot his existence until they discovered his dead body near the end of season 2, meant that his entire ‘arc’ was botched practically from the start. 

The smatterings of appearance he made only raised eyebrows from confused viewers, wondering what he’s still doing here. He either comments on what the audience can already see, or acts like a deranged lunatic simply content to watch cool shit go down. Only as the series draws close to its finale do the writers suddenly realise Lunarre exists and has had no resolution yet. 

Unfortunately, it falls flat on its face (much like Lunarre does as he dies) because there has been no build-up, no tension, no time or effort given to invest in his character before. Why should the audience give a shit now, when they have never been given a reason to prior?

When there has been no build-up, there cannot be any pay-off. At all. Only confusion, disbelief, and annoyance.

Thus, as the main cast inexplicably take time out to have a minute’s silence over Lunarre’s dead body, the viewer can only sigh and mutter “Can we just get on with it? Who the fuck is this guy anyway?”

My Re-Write of Lunarre’s Entire Anime Experience

Read this, and see how it differs from the nonsensical crap we got, separated into parts for convenience. Hell, it might be better. At least, I think so. I have succeeded if I can make you give a crap when you get to the end anyway!

Tell me what you think! ;)

The Man

In the prologue, we see the Scattered Bones preparing to ambush the princess Alisha and her bodyguards. One assassin, however, is restless, distracted. He is Lunarre, distinctly similar looking to the hellion he later becomes.

He is dutiful and obedient to Rose, but she can tell something is bothering him. In his mind there is turmoil, a conflict Lunarre stubbornly refuses to talk about.

Lunarre takes her comments the wrong way, and his anger grows. He recalls past words that only enhance his negative feelings.

Before the situation can escalate, the princess and her bodyguards are spotted.

The Monster

The ambush is launched, and in the ensuing fight Lunarre loses his mask and is ordered to retreat by Rose. When he refuses, he is told he is no match for the princess.

This sends Lunarre over the edge, and he transforms.

On becoming a hellion, Lunarre reacts. He finds himself filled with incredible power, power he never thought possible to wield. And he has it, right there in the palms of his hands. He doesn’t know exactly what happened to him, but it doesn’t matter.

Drunk on power, Lunarre attempts to finish what he started and attacks Alisha. Rose can see Lunarre for what he has become, and orders The Scattered Bones to attack him in response. Lunarre lunges at Rose, but seeing her face and hearing his name called out, stops.

He still retains a respect and fear for the woman he calls boss. He is still attached to both her and his guild, as joining them saved him from his previous life as a thief. He comes back to himself.

Shaken, he declares his time with the Scattered Bones is done, and he leaves before anyone can stop him

The Princess

The negative emotions that have created this form and given him the extraordinary powers he wields, chips slowly away at his sanity and he struggles to hold on. He is haunted by his confrontation with his guild, and repeated flashbacks of other bad times in his life, the former seemingly triggered by the latter. His newfound hellion form is fast becoming more of a curse than a boon.

He has no home to go back to, no family to speak of, no allies. He needs a distraction, and fast.

To this end he pursues Alisha, but finds himself unable to kill her after his confrontation with Symonne. His mind is confused, scattered, and her grief touches a sensitive, deeply buried part of Lunarre’s humanity, bringing back bad memories once again. Disturbed and frustrated, he leaves the princess to her sorrow.

Elysia

Unable to stay alone with his thoughts for long, Lunarre once again finds the princess’s trail and follows her to Elysia. His presence triggers the alarm among the seraphs, and he is confronted by the seraph Mason, whom he quickly defeats. Suddenly he is overwhelmed by the desire to consume his enemy in order to grow stronger.

Before madness can take over, however, Mikleo and Sorey arrive on the scene and interrupt him. An unstable Lunarre readily attacks the duo, channeling his bloodlust into the ensuing fight.

He has Sorey helpless, and is about to deliver the finishing blow when the fear in the young man’s eyes makes him remember the fear in Rose’s during their last encounter when Lunarre lost control. 

Lunarre hesitates, and this allows Gramps to intervene and confront the hellion.

Lunarre retreats.

Ladylake

He once more tails Alisha, telling himself that he means to finish what he started, as this will finally quell the bad thoughts inside him, when he knows full well he has no stomach for it. He knows killing Alisha will only make things worse, not better.

What Alisha is is an excuse to follow the path to Ladylake; if not his home town, then it a place with emotional significance to him. He seeks peace of mind, a purpose, a drive, and a grip on himself that he feels is slowly slipping away. He hopes returning to the city could help him find that.

Once in Ladylake, Lunarre visits his old home, or a similar place, where he finds that his instability only becomes worse. He remembers his childhood days, his time as a petty thief, the boring, listless days merely surviving day-to-day while being the bane of the city folk.

Feeling worse than before, Lunarre quickly leaves, only to be spotted by Sorey and Mikleo - fearing the hellion is targeting Alisha - in the crowds. They pursue him, not over the rooftops like idiots, but through the back alleys Lunarre knows very well. Lunarre is cornered and confronted about his intentions.

Here Lunarre admits he has no intention of hunting Alisha, but he dodges the question on why he really came to Ladylake. Sorey and Mikleo notice the hellion is depressed, and they have no idea how to deal with it. Before Lunarre was a highly dangerous, bloodthirsty monster, an enemy to defeat. Now he looks anything but.

Mikleo suggests they leave, but Sorey is compelled to stay. He wants to help, even though he doesn’t know how. He offers an ear to listen, but Lunarre stubbornly refuses and leaves.

The Shepherd

Later, at the ceremony of the Sacred Blade, Lunarre watches on from the shadows. He noticed the presence of Rose and Dezel earlier, but he wants to avoid them. He is intrigued by Sorey and Mikleo, however, and wants to see what will happen at the ceremony.

As expected, chaos erupts, and in the mayhem Sorey becomes the Shepherd and defeats the hellionised audience members. Lunarre is enraptured, excited, and desperate to see more.

The Journey

From this point on Lunarre decides to tail Sorey and his group. As he watches, be begins to grow attached to them and their struggles. He particularly focuses on Rose as her internal struggle.

Rose has blood on her hands, just as he does, has done terrible things in the name of her beliefs, and now finds herself questioning herself and her entire worldview, just as Lunarre does. For Lunarre, his boss has come to represent him and his own struggles more than the others. He is uncertain, however, and feels guilt over how be attacked her before, so he stays in the shadows.

Seeing her come out the other side is a great shock for Lunarre. He thinks, ‘holy shit, if she can do it maybe I...’

Game Changer

The turning point comes when the group first purifies a dragon, be that Ladylake or elsewhere. Lunarre finds himself overwhelmed by his desire to be part of their journey. Witnessing this feat, and all the good they have accomplished prior, have quelled the darkness within Lunarre and persuaded him that he is not lost. He realises, or rather remembers, the desire to do good, to belong, to matter, that caused him to join the Scattered Bones.

So, with some hesitation, Lunarre approaches the main group directly, and offers his assistance. He has no idea if he’s doing the right thing, but he’s willing to chance it. After all, what has he to lose?

Reluctant Hero

There is some wariness at first, especially from Dezel, Mikleo and Rose, but Sorey assures them that everything will be fine. Dezel reminds the hellion that if he steps out of line even once, he will pay. Lunarre accepts, glad to be accepted at all.

Lunarre then takes the opportunity to apologise to Alisha in a public display of humility that shocks everyone.

From this point on, Lunarre assists the group in their travels in whatever way he can, slowly gaining the trust of his more wary comrades in the process. He shares a heart-to-heart with his former boss and they make peace.

Despite his change of heart, Lunarre finds himself occasionally plagued by uncertainty, self-doubt and anger. He suffers from nightmares and flashbacks from his past. Sorey, Rose, Alisha and even Zaveid serve as helpful support in these times. 

Lunarre even begins to feel romantic affection towards Alisha, although he tries to hide it. Zaveid sees all, however, and badgers him to confess.

The End

The final battle arrives. After much reflection and preparation, our heroes ride into battle. Lunarre and Alisha, along with others, are the first wave of attack designed to clear the hellions blocking their path to the Lord of Calamity. There are thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, too many for their small number to destroy. Not even the additional help of Sorey and the others can alleviate the hoard.

Sorey orders the remaining fighters to retreat, but Lunarre refuses. He knows a way.

Rose screams for him to stop, but Lunarre has made up his mind. Using every last bit of power he has, Lunarre draws all the remaining hellions to him and destroys them, killing himself in the process.

He dies smiling, at peace. He thanks everyone for everything they did for him in his final thoughts.

Alisha finds his body first, and the others arrive shortly after. They are genuinely, honestly grieved. Rose is the first to point out that Lunarre has returned to his human form at last.

Later, they bury him, and have a moment’s silence out of respect for their fallen friend. 

Almost makes you forget he killed and ate a man! LOL

My Lunarre keychain arrived!! He looks so cute!! :D

divinaaquis:

Well, it appeared the fox went for the bait. If not for the danger that would soon come, then perhaps Mikleo would have been amused, and maybe sighed in relief. This one was a hellion, a beast, and all he wanted to do was wreak havoc and gobble up human and seraphim as he so pleased. He couldn’t let that happen. As much as being near the other froze his breath in his throat, he had to swallow his fear back and try to keep Lunarre back. Especially when he was after Alisha. Sorey and the others would arrive soon. They had to. 

A fireball soon hit a branch he was perched on before he could make his jump, and it was quickly engulfed in fierce, blue flame. The water seraph had to grit his teeth as he pushed himself up from where he had stumbled, feeling a pain shoot through his body. Dammit. He hadn’t landed too well there. 

“Unless you would prefer entire body a frozen statue, I suggest you back off now.” He threatens, leaning on his staff a slight. “I’m not playing these games of chase with you. It won’t be just your foot alone next time.”

Lunarre laughed. It was shrill and wild. Somewhere in his mind there was the memory of a different laugh, echoing from a different life. Lunarre pushed it further back into the dark. 

This was his life now. Here he was alone, but powerful. Alone, but happy. Singing, laughing, tap-dancing happy.

But devouring the little seraph brat would make him that little bit happier.

Blazing balls of blue fire erupted into existence and burned in the palm of his hands as he faced his enemy down. The little magic trick had worn off, and the seraph was now in plain sight.

“I agree,” Lunarre said, grinning. “Playtime’s over. But your ice won’t touch me again.”

Lunarre had been taught to spot weakness in others for as long as he could remember. Weakness that would equal an easy target that would equal a job well done. It had served him well in his thieving days, and his time with the Scattered Bones, and so it continued.

The seraph had not got off without injury from his fall. He favoured one foot over the other, and his staff was doubling as support. There was a weakness, and any weakness could be readily exploited.

One as alone in the world as Lunarre could rely on that universal truth alone.

Seizing his moment, Lunarre lunged forward, using his superior speed to catch the seraph off-balance. With a sweep of his arm, he unleashed an arc of flame that fanned out low across the grass, singeing the green blades black. No matter where the serph went, left or right, the weak spot should be hit. Such was the hellion’s thinking.