megaTEN (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
tenshinoakuma) wrote2012-01-04 09:54 pm
tenshinoakuma) wrote2012-01-04 09:54 pm
Entry tags:
[DDS] Serph Analysis [Part 2 of 2]
OKAY let's see how well this goes considering I am half asleep and I still haven't actually finished the final dungeon! Again, SPOILERS for Digital Devil Saga.
Digital Devil Saga 2
DDS2 is interesting because it's a breaking down of many things that they had taken for granted in the Junkyard. If we're going to talk Tarot Arcanas, I see Serph in the first game as Temperance, the arcana of moderation, or 'middle-path'. The Arcana where you're able to combine two seemingly opposing things. It's most apparent when he's contrasted with Argilla and Heat, and Sera even asks Serph whose philosophy he follows in his heart. Regardless of which dialogue choice you choose, Sera isn't happy with it. I wasn't happy with it either, because Serph mostly walks the middle path between their views, so picking a binary was... difficult.
However, in DDS2, things are very different. As the game progresses, it becomes more and more apparent that his Arcana would become Judgement, especially after he learns the truth behind the events 5 years ago.
... But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
In DDS1 you have the Junkyard laws, and they all initially were compelled to follow them. They all eventually break away from that, but so much of its ingrained, and so much of it had formed how they all are right now. For Serph, it's always been the goal to become the leader of all the Tribes and go to Nirvana. Though it eventually becomes more like 'unite' the Tribes and bring everyone to Nirvana. End-game content suggests that he's actually really excited about bringing everyone to Nirvana (even though they're all still chasing after Sera). Feng Huang may have been exaggerating a little when she says their leader (she's referring to Serph) just won't shut up about going to Nirvana when she doesn't give a damn about it. Because lmao Serph not shutting up, and Feng Huang is rather irritable to begin with so! But there's an ex-Solids member who's like... Nirvana? No thanks. And I imagine Serph might have been disappointed, but the ex-Solids isn't causing trouble so he can accept her disinterest in Nirvana. But anyway, end game, while yeah, Serph did unite all the Tribes, they're not really united.
It's clear not everyone who joins him joins him out of desire to his cause, or loyalty to him; there's a few NPCs here and there who are now part of the Embryon, but are not too happy about it. There's a lot of squabbling still going on in the various territories, a lot of people who oppose his leadership. Some do willingly join and want to serve him, but there are quite a lot who join because that's what you do when your Tribe leader's been defeated, and are, perhaps, not quite able to bring themselves to be renegades.
In DDS2, it's pretty different. There are three/four main 'Tribes'. The remaining Embryon themselves, the Lokapala and the Karma Society (which can be further split into those who follow Madame Margot and those who follow Angel). Examining the Embryon and Lokapala's relationship, they had a pretty rocky start in the beginning, that was somewhat smoothed over when Roland and Fred donned the Embryon's colours and joined the party. However, while the Embryon and Lokapala were fighting together, they were still two separate entities; Lokapala's lot is with Roland, not the Embryon's. But when Serph 'dies', that's when the rest of Lokapala donned the Embryon's colours and... it was a really (sad but) beautiful moment. Argilla says that they're all one Tribe now. And that's the moment where it really feels like it. Even though Serph died, they united everyone. Even the Lokapala who didn't like Serph initially, they seem to have been won over by his genuine desire to help, even though his main goal was to find Sera. It's not until the very end, when even the dead spirits of the people who previously opposed him were okay with him (well... Seraph, at the time...) that they achieve something close to true unity.
Where was I going with this... right. I think in DDS2 Serph stopped caring about the distinction between his tribe and someone else's tribe. Cielo's clearly bothered by the fact they're AI's based on humans, and he asks Serph what he'd rather be... Serph can answer that he'd rather be a dead human or an artificial being. However, what I consider the 'right' answer is the 'it doesn't matter, we are who we are' (paraphrased) answer. I think seeing the kids worried about Timmy, the Lokapala repairman concerned about his little brother, the Karma Society worker who wanted to name his son... I think those were all instances where he sort of realised that no matter what the Embryon were, they were all people. Everyone there is a person. We are all one. Being in different 'tribes' don't matter because everyone has their cause, everyone can hurt, everyone can cry, everyone can be brought peace.
I think that's part of why he became part of Seraph.
(Tangentially, I have no idea what sort of pronouns I should be using with Seraph. Seraph's one person but also two people and neither a him nor a her, and I'm assuming is a hermaphrodite since Serph and Sera's bodies merged so...)
Okay I haven't... actually... finished the Sun, but while Sera seems to be the dominant personality in Seraph, Serph is still there. Their main driving force is the same, to save everyone. As you travel through the sun, you meet various solar data of people who were not able to be at peace after they died, some of which were your enemies. And, I believe, Schrodinger asks Seraph if they feel sad about the people who did not find peace, or something along those lines. And Seraph can express sadness, or uncertainty. Either way, Seraph shows signs of compassion towards them. Seraph is certainly interesting to observe; everything about Seraph indicates their difference from the others.
(End game speaks a lot about 'one word'. The game never clarifies what the one word is. People seem to interpret it as 'love', but I think it may be 'compassion'.)
What struck me as rather interesting is that after Heat kills Serph, iirc the others everyone expresses shock, anger at why Heat did such a thing (they do it when they first find out Heat has turned against them, too). But... I think Serph already understood that this was something between Heat and himself. All the anger is directed towards him, after all. (Heat will actually taunt you and yell for Serph to come out if he's not in the active party.). Serph knew something happened 5 years ago. Varin, the various Karma Society researchers, Cuvier's words, something happened that he doesn't remember. And he just... immediately takes responsibility for it. He doesn't know what he's taking responsibility for, but he knows there's something and getting shanked will pay back whatever he's done, then he'll gladly pay it... but he also won't let others get dragged into this either. What's rather poignant for me is that, based on Schrodinger's words, Serph's immediate concern isn't with what is going on outside, or the fact that the cat is talking to him, but why Heat is so incensed whenever he sees Serph. He wants to know what happened 5 years ago. He wants to understand.
(Tangentially, the derping with video games makes me think that Sheffield was bad at video games and David was pro pffffffff.)
Something I don't really understand is the "Fake Varna". I understand Real Varna is the lingering Solar Data of Sheffield, but I was under the impression that AI Serph is the same, original AI that had been on the beach paradise that Sera created (that's why Serph still remembers the blue sky). So... who is the third Serph present in the EGG? Was it a 2nd AI subconsciously created by Sera from the shock of discovering the truth?
Anyway, it seems that Serph accepts things (situations, explanations) easily, perhaps a little too easily, and doesn't really ask many questions, which is why he has Gale, who does that sort of stuff better than he can. But... at the same time, he's a listener. He remembers what he's been told, and he'll keep note of any inconsistencies (as some conversations with Gale demonstrate). He's a derp, but he's not stupid by any stretch of the imagination (I don't think the Embryon would have gotten as far as they did with a stupid leader anyway).
BLUH BLUH BLUH I'm sure I actually have more to essay about but I'm too tired to brain more SO THAT'S IT I GUESS.
WOW okay these essays have been pretty incoherent. I think it's because DDS kind of overwhelms me with ALL THE FEELINGS.
Digital Devil Saga 2
DDS2 is interesting because it's a breaking down of many things that they had taken for granted in the Junkyard. If we're going to talk Tarot Arcanas, I see Serph in the first game as Temperance, the arcana of moderation, or 'middle-path'. The Arcana where you're able to combine two seemingly opposing things. It's most apparent when he's contrasted with Argilla and Heat, and Sera even asks Serph whose philosophy he follows in his heart. Regardless of which dialogue choice you choose, Sera isn't happy with it. I wasn't happy with it either, because Serph mostly walks the middle path between their views, so picking a binary was... difficult.
However, in DDS2, things are very different. As the game progresses, it becomes more and more apparent that his Arcana would become Judgement, especially after he learns the truth behind the events 5 years ago.
... But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
In DDS1 you have the Junkyard laws, and they all initially were compelled to follow them. They all eventually break away from that, but so much of its ingrained, and so much of it had formed how they all are right now. For Serph, it's always been the goal to become the leader of all the Tribes and go to Nirvana. Though it eventually becomes more like 'unite' the Tribes and bring everyone to Nirvana. End-game content suggests that he's actually really excited about bringing everyone to Nirvana (even though they're all still chasing after Sera). Feng Huang may have been exaggerating a little when she says their leader (she's referring to Serph) just won't shut up about going to Nirvana when she doesn't give a damn about it. Because lmao Serph not shutting up, and Feng Huang is rather irritable to begin with so! But there's an ex-Solids member who's like... Nirvana? No thanks. And I imagine Serph might have been disappointed, but the ex-Solids isn't causing trouble so he can accept her disinterest in Nirvana. But anyway, end game, while yeah, Serph did unite all the Tribes, they're not really united.
It's clear not everyone who joins him joins him out of desire to his cause, or loyalty to him; there's a few NPCs here and there who are now part of the Embryon, but are not too happy about it. There's a lot of squabbling still going on in the various territories, a lot of people who oppose his leadership. Some do willingly join and want to serve him, but there are quite a lot who join because that's what you do when your Tribe leader's been defeated, and are, perhaps, not quite able to bring themselves to be renegades.
In DDS2, it's pretty different. There are three/four main 'Tribes'. The remaining Embryon themselves, the Lokapala and the Karma Society (which can be further split into those who follow Madame Margot and those who follow Angel). Examining the Embryon and Lokapala's relationship, they had a pretty rocky start in the beginning, that was somewhat smoothed over when Roland and Fred donned the Embryon's colours and joined the party. However, while the Embryon and Lokapala were fighting together, they were still two separate entities; Lokapala's lot is with Roland, not the Embryon's. But when Serph 'dies', that's when the rest of Lokapala donned the Embryon's colours and... it was a really (sad but) beautiful moment. Argilla says that they're all one Tribe now. And that's the moment where it really feels like it. Even though Serph died, they united everyone. Even the Lokapala who didn't like Serph initially, they seem to have been won over by his genuine desire to help, even though his main goal was to find Sera. It's not until the very end, when even the dead spirits of the people who previously opposed him were okay with him (well... Seraph, at the time...) that they achieve something close to true unity.
Where was I going with this... right. I think in DDS2 Serph stopped caring about the distinction between his tribe and someone else's tribe. Cielo's clearly bothered by the fact they're AI's based on humans, and he asks Serph what he'd rather be... Serph can answer that he'd rather be a dead human or an artificial being. However, what I consider the 'right' answer is the 'it doesn't matter, we are who we are' (paraphrased) answer. I think seeing the kids worried about Timmy, the Lokapala repairman concerned about his little brother, the Karma Society worker who wanted to name his son... I think those were all instances where he sort of realised that no matter what the Embryon were, they were all people. Everyone there is a person. We are all one. Being in different 'tribes' don't matter because everyone has their cause, everyone can hurt, everyone can cry, everyone can be brought peace.
I think that's part of why he became part of Seraph.
(Tangentially, I have no idea what sort of pronouns I should be using with Seraph. Seraph's one person but also two people and neither a him nor a her, and I'm assuming is a hermaphrodite since Serph and Sera's bodies merged so...)
Okay I haven't... actually... finished the Sun, but while Sera seems to be the dominant personality in Seraph, Serph is still there. Their main driving force is the same, to save everyone. As you travel through the sun, you meet various solar data of people who were not able to be at peace after they died, some of which were your enemies. And, I believe, Schrodinger asks Seraph if they feel sad about the people who did not find peace, or something along those lines. And Seraph can express sadness, or uncertainty. Either way, Seraph shows signs of compassion towards them. Seraph is certainly interesting to observe; everything about Seraph indicates their difference from the others.
(End game speaks a lot about 'one word'. The game never clarifies what the one word is. People seem to interpret it as 'love', but I think it may be 'compassion'.)
What struck me as rather interesting is that after Heat kills Serph, iirc the others everyone expresses shock, anger at why Heat did such a thing (they do it when they first find out Heat has turned against them, too). But... I think Serph already understood that this was something between Heat and himself. All the anger is directed towards him, after all. (Heat will actually taunt you and yell for Serph to come out if he's not in the active party.). Serph knew something happened 5 years ago. Varin, the various Karma Society researchers, Cuvier's words, something happened that he doesn't remember. And he just... immediately takes responsibility for it. He doesn't know what he's taking responsibility for, but he knows there's something and getting shanked will pay back whatever he's done, then he'll gladly pay it... but he also won't let others get dragged into this either. What's rather poignant for me is that, based on Schrodinger's words, Serph's immediate concern isn't with what is going on outside, or the fact that the cat is talking to him, but why Heat is so incensed whenever he sees Serph. He wants to know what happened 5 years ago. He wants to understand.
(Tangentially, the derping with video games makes me think that Sheffield was bad at video games and David was pro pffffffff.)
Something I don't really understand is the "Fake Varna". I understand Real Varna is the lingering Solar Data of Sheffield, but I was under the impression that AI Serph is the same, original AI that had been on the beach paradise that Sera created (that's why Serph still remembers the blue sky). So... who is the third Serph present in the EGG? Was it a 2nd AI subconsciously created by Sera from the shock of discovering the truth?
Anyway, it seems that Serph accepts things (situations, explanations) easily, perhaps a little too easily, and doesn't really ask many questions, which is why he has Gale, who does that sort of stuff better than he can. But... at the same time, he's a listener. He remembers what he's been told, and he'll keep note of any inconsistencies (as some conversations with Gale demonstrate). He's a derp, but he's not stupid by any stretch of the imagination (I don't think the Embryon would have gotten as far as they did with a stupid leader anyway).
BLUH BLUH BLUH I'm sure I actually have more to essay about but I'm too tired to brain more SO THAT'S IT I GUESS.
WOW okay these essays have been pretty incoherent. I think it's because DDS kind of overwhelms me with ALL THE FEELINGS.