Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re returning to a banquet of sorcerous scheming and subterfuge, as we continue the ever-shifting third season of Thunderbolt Fantasy. At a rough count, the Divine Swarm’s conspiracy now incorporates insect-worshipping cultists, insane cyborg priests, a demon witch and her sword sister (also a demon witch), a disgraced general and his increasingly suspicious retinue, and also the friggin’ Enigmatic Gale. Between them, they harbor roughly as many animating motives, being aligned almost solely through their equal animosity towards our poor Shang of the Sorcerous Sword Index.
Meanwhile, Shang and his buddy Lang have found themselves flung through time, utilizing the power of Xing Hai’s void crystals to return to prior moments of promise and crisis. For Shang, this means witnessing the event that informed his life’s purpose: the creation of the calamitously powerful Sword Index itself. And for Lang, it means revisiting the moment of his greatest failure: the blinding of Mu Tian Ming at the hands of Huo Shi Ming Huang, the mysterious leader of the Divine Swarm. Altering the course of this event could both restore her sight and avert the present-day crisis, but such bold revising of the past would surely lead to further, potentially disastrous consequences. There is no such thing as a free lunch in an Urobuchi narrative, but given Lang’s current torment, I have a feeling he’d pay whatever cost this transgression against causality might infer. Let’s see how our time travelers fare as we return to Thunderbolt Fantasy!
Episode 10
I’m intrigued by this “figure standing in the palm of a deity” image from the OP. It reminds me of that moment in Journey to the West when the Monkey King is reprimanded by Buddha, and finds himself unable to escape the endless hand of the divine
We’ve had plenty of interactions with demons in this series so far, but none with any sort of celestial entity, which makes me curious as to what sort of full mythological framework we’re working with here
Ahaha, it’s nice to be back with this exuberant cinematography. This dramatic turn by the creator of the Sorcerous Sword Index is accompanied by no fewer than three dramatic zooms, followed by a final zoom on Shang’s own reaction. We’re constantly on the verge of being over-gasped here
The index’s presumed creator is introduced as “Bailian.” He seems to instinctively grasp that there is something special about Shang
Dutch angles increase the sense of otherworldly disorientation as Shang is led through a flower garden
Bailian’s response to Shang asking “so this is Wan Yu?” is “so I’ve been told,” implying he too is out of place here. I suppose it’s not surprise that the creator of such an intrusion on reality as the Sorcerous Sword Index is himself a traveler from far, far away
Shang wastes no time revealing he is from the future, which Bailian takes fully in stride
It’s interesting how the inherent limitations of puppet theater creates a unique kind of cinematic vocabulary. Thunderbolt Fantasy is prone to these walk-and-talk sequences that open with a close shot on the scenery before racking focus back to the characters in the distance, simply because such shots are a natural way to highlight the care taken in establishing these sets without pushing the camera in a direction that might break the illusion of reality within the diorama
And of course, extreme closeups are favored for a similar reason: focusing on the intricately designed puppets while avoiding wide shots that would reveal the limits of the stage
Shang states he had heard the index was created by servants of the gods, while Bailian protests he is simply a mortal man
Apparently this whole estate drifted into Wan Yu via some kind of dimensional distortion. As a result, this place is something of a beacon, making it unsurprising that Shang ended up here in turn. It sure does seem exceedingly dangerous that the origin point of the sword index is some kind of interdimensional gravity well!
Bailian explains his once-mundane weapons gained a great power when transferred into Wan Yu. So it is not their fundamental nature that makes them special, but the context of their usage? Might be something to dig into there
Bailian presumes their power comes from this place, as it is essentially two locations at once
Bailian’s reservations echo Shang’s own. Even the index’s creator worried what effect it might have on mortal affairs. Power is never a neutral force, and an unanswerable power will almost certainly prove a harmful one
In fact, he actually proceeded under the assumption that once the rift was mended and “natural order” was restored, so too would the swords return to being mundane slabs of iron. They were never intended to be a permanent threat hanging over this world
Some clear Urobuchian themes run through this conversation – the idea that so-called gods are fallible beings merely pursuing their own philosophy, and the fear that absolute power is incompatible with human nature. The sword index might as well be a Madoka or Fate-style wish, while Bailian embodies a softer, self-effacing alternative to the absolute morality that defines many of Urobuchi’s villains
“I know full well that good intentions can often have unfortunate consequences.” He seems as close to an enlightened being as you could find in this context, having already internalized both the limits of good intentions and the dangers of unlimited power
Having been assured of Bailian’s intentions, Shang reveals the index. And as expected, Bailian can only express sorrow at the violence his works have wrought
After that exceedingly even-tempered interview, we cut to Lang presumably about to do something extremely foolish
It seems Azibelpher himself followed Lang here, and is now goading him into interfering
But Lang restrains himself! He doesn’t fall for the bait, instead demanding to know Azibelpher’s own intentions
Interestingly, Azibelpher doesn’t shy away from revealing the ugly consequences of interference. If Lang adjusts the timeline here, Shang’s future actions will also be altered, meaning he won’t be present to prevent the emergence of a demon god on the surface
“This is the nature of modifying destiny.” Just like the swords, altering the past is a power humanity cannot safely possess
“If the alternative is being the marionette of an unalterable fate…” So we arrive at the core conflict. Is it possible to pursue our human aims without incurring destructive ends? Must we accept the whims of an uncaring universe, simply because we are uncertain we could properly steer the alternative? Attempts to guide human destiny rarely go well in Urobuchi narratives, but that doesn’t mean we should just surrender to fate, either
Huo Shi Ming Huang drives the knife in further, mocking our heroes’ inability to steer the course of destiny
“The future that starts here isn’t just disasters. There’s joy and salvation, too.” Ooh, love this sequence. As Lang is forced to relive that terrible moment, Shang fervently declares that there is beauty even in this imperfect future, and human choices worth protecting. Some things are beyond our control, yes, but that does not diminish the importance of our choices, or the necessity of letting the past rest
“Saying what you did is wrong is like denying any of that happened.” We must not let the despair incurred by our failings lead us to deny the agency of our fellow humans
“Accept the weight of what your actions will result in.” That’s all we can do – act boldly in pursuit of a better future, and accept that even well-intentioned actions will incur some painful outcomes. So long as we can accept the weight of our sins, we can move forward
Thus Lang passes his own test, allowing the worst failing of his life to happen once again
In the end, Shang is actually heartened to know that the index which has wrought so much damage upon humanity was not borne of an intrusion by some god, but merely the act of another human being attempting to do what he thought was best. He can easily forgive the fallibility of a human
“That’s something I don’t mind picking up the tab for.” God, he’s such a great hero. Urobuchi rarely allows himself such a genuinely good dude
“If I think of it as my way of paying back the man who saved the world, it’s not so bad.” We cannot change fate, but we can change our mindset, and find pride in our chosen purpose
Meanwhile – although I suppose not technically “meanwhile,” since everyone’s fucking with time – anyway, we then check back in at the void junction, where Xing Hai’s next batch of time cookies have almost finished baking
Oh my god, incredible sequence of Lin diligently massaging a lounging Xing Hai. Buddy, you have definitely earned this
Xing Hai devises a clever method of restoring her sister without altering the timeline: simply grabbing her body from the moment after she was “defeated,” and transporting it back to the present. That way she’ll still be absent from the timeline, avoiding any butterfly effect-style problems
Aw shit, is Can Yun dead now? Cliffhangers abound!
And Done
Thus we conclude another scintillating sorcerous session, with Shang once more in the present, Lang drawn even further into the past, and Can Yun potentially run through by a sword-addled Lin. Still, ominous ending aside, this was actually quite a philosophically life-affirming episode, as both Lang and Shang grappled with and overcame the urge to write a happier history. Like the Sword Index itself, the power to change fate seems like it might offer humanity the chance to overcome tragedy, but ultimately denies our ability to affect change in our own lives. We must maintain both hope and prudence, even when it means resisting the call of our hearts. Shang’s discussion with Bailian embodied the highest hopes of Urobuchi’s works; cynical as he may be, all of his pointed questions are informed by a desperate belief that we just might rise above the cruelties of outrageous fortune. Fight on, brave warriors!
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