What are we watching: Land of the Lustrous
What’s it about: In the mysterious future, crystalline organisms called Gems inhabit a world that has been destroyed by six meteors. Each Gem is assigned a role in order to fight against the Lunarians, a species who attacks them in order to shatter their bodies and use them as decorations.
Phosphophyllite, also known as Phos, is a young and fragile Gem who dreams of helping their friends in the war effort. Instead, they are told to compile an encyclopedia because of their delicate condition. After begrudgingly embarking on this task, Phos meets Cinnabar, an intelligent gem who has been relegated to patrolling the isolated island at night because of the corrosive poison their body creates. After seeing how unhappy Cinnabar is, Phos decides to find a role that both of the rejected Gems can enjoy. Houseki no Kuni follows Phos’ efforts to be useful and protect their fellow Gems.
Studio: Orange
Director: Kyougoku, Takahiko
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIYgPnSvnCE
Where can I watch it: https://twist.moe/a/houseki-no-kuni-tv/1 , https://nyaa.si/view/991627 , https://cytu.be/r/chapochat (At select times)
Spoilers beyond the current episode are :haram . Please use the spoiler tag if you would like to discuss past the current episode. Everything in this episode and before are fair game.
Episode 7 analysis:
Amethyst is stunning with their hair down Also, I readjust my "autism" assessment of Amethyst. You could also read them as representing plural people (multiple personality disorder) in a way. I seriously love their hair.
The difference between the way the gems live within society and cinnabar isolated on the outside of society is so sad.
Bort wins best looking gem while asleep contest when she's not all frowny.
Aww
There is some mystery to these ice floes . They are CLEARLY Lunarians and the fact Sensei calls them sinners suggests some sort of act that they're not supposed to do. The endless screaming of the ice floes is somewhat disconcerting. They are not just sliding noises. Why can the ice floe talk to Phos? I assume it has something to do with her probable change in genetics that allowed her to speak to the snail?
This moment of self harm contemplation is an incredibly distressing moment for a lot of people. We're basically looking at a trans girl that hates her body so much she wishes to literally cut pieces off herself because they are incongruous with her mind's self-image.
This whole scene honestly is really difficult and horrible to watch. A very obvious and clear depiction of dysphoria leading to self-harm.
What a cliffhangar