Perhaps it would be easier if Phos had simply failed. Was their life so very bad to start with? They lived smiling and carefree, beloved by their fellow gems in spite of, or perhaps even because of their physically useless nature. They possessed few questions and fewer doubts about their world, were looked upon kindly by Sensei and Dia, and had no end of species to catalog in their encyclopedia. If they had simply been a little less curious, or perhaps a little less moved by the plight of Cinnabar, they could have lived happily within the gems’ peculiar terrarium. Happiness need not require answers to all of life’s difficult questions – it only requires the absence of doubt.
Tag Archives: Land of the Lustrous
Land of the Lustrous – Episode 11
Land of the Lustrous’ eleventh episode begins moments after the last, with Dia shattered on the floor and Bort squaring off with this imposing, now apparently divided Lunarian. Having faced this creature on the shoreline, Bort’s finely tuned instincts came to an obvious conclusion: we cannot defeat this creature, and thus we must flee to await Sensei’s guidance. Ensconced in the certainty of their role and purpose, it was an easy call to make, and thus Bort fled without a second glance. Though Bort takes pride in their strength, they are not arrogant or foolhardy; the very fact of their strength means they must take all the more care in applying themselves, ensuring their abilities serve as not just protection, but also a model and guide for their fellow gems.
Land of the Lustrous – Episode 10
Land of the Lustrous’ ninth episode concludes with Phos effortlessly dispatching a Lunarian, and in the process rescuing the twin Amethysts they were previously helpless to assist. Such an accomplishment would have registered as a stunning victory for the Phos of several months ago, an affirmation of the strength they were so desperate to possess, and their suitability for the role they craved above all else. But having lost Antarcticite and acquired the strength to fight, Phos has only found a fresh sense of emptiness on the far shore. Looking down at this fresh kill, Phos simply laments that this Lunarian is one of the old models, and thus cannot help restore their friend.
Land of the Lustrous – Episode 9
Again and again, Phos has been told that they must change in order to exist within this world. In order to be a proper member of their community, they must change their personality and embrace diligence and propriety, abandoning the core of their identity in order to better fit a static mold. In order to succeed as a defender of their land, they must replace their physical body, incurring any manner of degradation or transformation in hopes of better facing the Lunarians. In order to save Cinnabar, they must reinvent the very fundamentals of gem culture, carving out a place for their friend while somehow dispelling the sense of disjoint and isolation that caused them to recognize Cinnabar as a fellow outcast in the first place.
Land of the Lustrous – Episode 8
Through the course of their plaintive journey, Phos has tried again and again to reinvent themself, and reshape themself into some form that might be of use to their society. In spite of all their efforts, perhaps the only lesson that can be drawn from their journey is “not all change is good change,” as last episode clearly demonstrated. After having failed to be of use as a warrior even with their newly empowered legs, that episode saw Phos suffering yet another unjust separation from their companions, as they discovered their new body structure no longer required the low-light hibernation cycle employed by their fellow gems. Instead, they were forced to embrace a new degree of isolation as the unwanted apprentice of Antarcticite, the one gem assigned to protecting their sleeping companions.
Land of the Lustrous – Episode 7
Day by day, Phos’ quest for purpose and identity reaps fresh disappointments. The most common, unquestioned identity for these gems is “warrior,” and so Phos throws themself into battle, hoping to earn the praise of their fellow lustrous. Even as Phos’ actual strengths and virtues (a kind heart, an inquisitive mind, an effortless ability to make their friends laugh) solidified their bond with Amethyst, they struggled to lift a sword and run a patrol route, desperate to prove they could somehow overcome the fundamental reality of their atomic structure. And in the end, the results were disastrous. Struck silent by the terror of the Lunarians, Phos proved utterly incapable of aiding Amethyst in battle, and was ultimately rescued by the increasingly exasperated Bort.
Land of the Lustrous – Episode 6
The sun rises on a new day and a new Phos, now equipped with striped pearlescent legs. Having surrendered themselves to the ocean in hopes of helping their new friend, Phos was rewarded with first betrayal and then redemption, only to emerge in a new form – not necessarily better, but certainly different from before.
That episode saw Phos attempting to sacrifice themself multiple times over, certain their life could only possess value if given up for the sake of another. First by going into the sea for Cinnabar and Ventricosus, and then through their willingness to become a sacrifice to save Ventricosus’ brother, Phos demonstrated basically no concern for their own safety or future. And why would they, anyway? Every aspect and inhabitant of this world seems to tell them they don’t belong, that they have no value. The gems themselves seem like strange interlopers in this world, existing outside of its natural ecosystems, and even among gem society, Phos is an outsider without purpose. To the gems, purpose and identity are as one – if you don’t possess a clear role within their society, you might as well not exist at all.
Land of the Lustrous – Episode 5
It is not some great moral conviction that drives Phos into the sea. If anything, it’s closer to the opposite – a total absence of feeling, and lack of concern for their own fate. Even after being reconstructed from the nautilus’ shell, Phos still possesses no value within gem society; the only one who seems to actually need them is this weird slug-creature. Like Cinnabar, Phos clings to this paltry source of value out of desperation – and also like Cinnabar, they do this in spite of having people who actually care about them, and want to see them happy. So often, we are our own cruelest judges.
Land of the Lustrous – Episode 4
Land of the Lustrous’ fourth episode draws us towards a key turning point in Phos’ overall journey. Though Phos has experienced hardship throughout this narrative, they’ve consistently bounced back, and successfully learned basically nothing from their mistakes so far. That’s actually a key part of the show’s charm; Phos is lazy and oblivious and self-absorbed in ways that we can likely all relate to, and the comedy of those qualities playing themselves out within this resolutely self-serious society makes them a natural point of human connection for this story. But Land of the Lustrous is a story about change, and the flippant attitude Phos brings to all their endeavors will soon be tempered by the fires of life experience. Before that can happen, though, episode four is here to celebrate Phos’ silliness for one last time, as the show briefly turns into an outright buddy comedy.
Land of the Lustrous – Episode 3
Land of the Lustrous’ third episode opens with vivid colors in a shimmering visual stew, as Phos is seemingly digested by a great creature’s stomach acids. The scene is simultaneously beautiful and horrifying, capturing the contradiction at the heart of all this show’s many transformations, and demonstrating Land of the Lustrous’ own greatest visual strengths in turn. In conveying the roiling emotions of its gemstone heroes, Land of the Lustrous is often at its best when it leans into abstraction like this – angular shapes and colors spilling over each other, rather than direct, neutral visual representation.