The thought of mine that led to the very publishing of this post was, “Omg what if RSA’s PE teacher is Shiang Li!!”😭
For instance, I imagine Shiang to teach discipline, teamwork, dignity, & honor through the toning of physical strength/acrobactics/just straight up martial arts while Vargas, as we know, flaunts his own muscles built from strength training for self-confidence and to inspire his own students to being like him.
~~~*~~~*~~~
Now, I’m sure you all know about the new RSA silhouettes released, and likely these cast members will all be RSA’s dorm leaders, whose dorms are all the “good” mirrors to the villains’ dorms at NRC.
First, Auralim dorm! The silhouette shown is most definitely based on Alice, but it would be so nice to have a character based on the White Queen from Tim’s Burton Alice in Wonderland adaptation instead..!
Then, Privalo dorm is definitely the most mysterious right now, since that character could be ANY LION. They could be based on Nala, but that’s a very controversial move since Cheka (based on Simba) is a little kid in the story, if anything, they could be Rani, Sarafina possibly, or even Shenzi instead (so an hyena instead of a lion beastman).
I want to emphasize the possibility that since NRC had “good/RSA aligned” characters (Rook, Kalim, and Silver), it’s very much possible that RSA may also have more “bad/NRC aligned” cast as well!
Of course, the in?famous and well awaited Rielle from Marinafinne dorm has finally made his colorful debut! I love how expressive he is! And his blue eyes quite literally stare into your soul, they are scarily bright😭
Azul had implied back in the Octavinelle Arc that he knew Rielle back when he was a bullied child, and many fans kinda just assumed he never stood up for him then, but again we’re not certain if Rielle was even aware of Azul being bullied…
And of course, Dunasmina dorm’s gorgeous Minajeal!! This dude outmogged EVERYONE like wow😭 I think poor Jamil finally lost his “Best Hair” crown. Interesting how he doesn’t like being controlled/pressured as a prince and seems to be very aware of how others/esp Jamil perceive him… I dunno if this was already confirmed, but is this not the very cousin that Kalim said way back was related to royalty?
Next, the Pomefiore mirror I’m assuming is either Neige in a new fit or a whole new character based on Prince Florian! I’m actually the most excited for him and the dorm name is so satisfying to say(Charblanche~~)
But lowkey… judging by his big, feathery hat and gentlemanly/princely pose, could he possibly be one of Rook’s relatives.???👀
Then, for Psycheros, I’m guessing that they’re a mix of both Megara and Hercules? They have a heavy sleeper build and just one-punches everyone😭 They seem spunky and cool and confident in themselves (basically the opposite of Idia). But looking at the silhouette, I also feel they could even be based on Pain & Panic? Which would actually tie them more directly to Idia since those two had worked for Hades.
Now finally, the Rosa Auroria dorm, the only dorm in the entire game to have two separated words as its name instead of just one, single word. This mystery character is probably the red fairy from sleeping beauty, or they could be a mix of all three of the good fairies. I feel like they would actually get along with Lilia, and I wonder how (if they’re a fae) they would tie into all the heavy, historical lore Diasomnia Arc had (if at all)?
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Will be hoping & waiting for RSA Lighting McQueen & Mater-based characters someday now that RSA’s release is actually happening🥹 like please Yana turn humanoid McQueen & Mater into a real professional, legitimate thing🙏
A friend of mine shared a ✨ creepy theory ✨ that’s collecting steam on the JP side of the Twst fandom… I wanted to share it with y’all 🤗
All the credit for this idea goes out to Twitter users @/shintui07 and @/konpeitar!
Essentially, the theory goes that “Swing” isn’t the man we assume he is, but rather the centipede around his neck. The man we assume is “Swing” is actually a corpse the true Swing (the centipede) is piloting around. This would explain the unusual skin color. And his Disney inspiration, Oogie Boogie, is basically a sack controlled by bugs (squirming inside), right??
Furthermore, “Swing” appears to wear a baggy jacket which resembles a body bag used by the U.S. army for deceased personnel, right down to the color. One JP Twitter user (@/konpeitar) points out that the boots “Swing” wears even appear to be similar to military ones. They suggest that perhaps “Swing” was an important figure in the military.
The “military” connection is particularly interesting, because Swing calls Briar Valley “Briarland” in the event. Notably, “Briarland” was the ORIGINAL name for the northern continent, BEFORE the human-fae war that resulted in the majority of the nocturnal fae’s land being taken from them. Now, we don’t know if Swing is from Briarland or if he’s familiar with what became of the country, but this is still a vague connection to a war and, by extension, the militaristic groups fighting in it.
I don’t necessarily think this theory is canon (it definitely is a little too dark for Twst), but it’s just a fun idea to play around with!
For this attempt at vocal analysis, I will be going off of the FACH operatic vocal system and will be going completely based on hearing. This will definitely not be completely accurate so feel free to further discuss politely and respectfully!
For this post, I will be referring to the following songs:
• “Piece of My World”
• “Absolutely Beautiful”
• All dorm songs
• All vocal event songs
• All Overblotters’ solos
The Male Vocal Range:
•Countertenor (can reach up to the female vocal register)
-Range: E3-E5 (enters falsetto head voice for higher notes)
-In opera, countertenors were used to replace castrato voices (young boys who were castrated before puberty to preserve their high-pitched voices while benefiting from adult lungs that draw in more air supply…)
-Very rare voice type
•Tenor
-Range: C3-A4
-Generally sings heroic or main love interest roles in opera
-2nd highest voice for males
•Baritone
-Range: A2-F4
-The mezzo-soprano (middle) for male voices
-Usually defined by a darker timbre compared to tenors
-Most common type of range/voice
-Plays both heroic & villainous roles
•Bass
-Range: F2-E4
-The lowest voice
-Usually plays old men, wise men, or even comedic relief in opera
~~Common Vocal Sound/Tone Characterizations~~
• Light/Lyric/Bright/Airy voices are typically associated with sounding more: bright, clear, agile, gentle, lighter timbre, melodic, and a higher overtone.
• Dark meaning: adding power, gravity, ricer, deeper, fuller tone, and a lower overtone.
•Full meaning: strong, rich, solid, typically done with chest voice.
Do you think it's possible that Twisted Wonderland is just an afterlife/all just a dream? Cuz it seems like a bleak ending.. Everyone either just being dead or never existing in the first place.
If not, would you say it's unlikely for anyone in the main cast to permanent die?
Hi there! ☕️
Personally, I believe it’s very likely Twisted Wonderland is a version of an afterlife. Whether the cast were all actually living beings on Earth before dying and being stuck in NRC/the afterlife— I’m not entirely sure if that’s the case or if they were all just natural beings of Twisted Wonderland who were literally born there. I think the ending will be something VERY bittersweet, I just imagine Yuu waking up or being brought back to life (perhaps they’re actually in a coma??) and just seeing the ghost camera in their hands, and then they start tearing up as they scroll through all the photos we’ve taken.
If anything, there may be multiple ways to enter Twisted Wonderland: death, dreaming (whether just sleeping or in a coma), or even stepping through “a looking glass” or any other magical object to cross dimensions?
And about the main cast (or any character we’ve been introduced to with a whole figure/design reveal), I highly doubt anyone would permanently die considering it’s Disney branded and also for marketing purposes😭. I know it makes the story darker and perhaps more intriguing, but I wouldn’t want anyone to die anyway, I just love them all too much!!
I’ve always believed in the Grim is the Jabberwocky theory. Maybe I’m crazy, but I do spot the similarities between Grim, art depicting the Jabberwocky, and the Chimera beast fought at the beginning of the game (although it does contain parts resembling the overblotters more):
To elaborate, the Jabberwock is a fictional beast written by Lewis G. Carrol. It had first originated in a poem of the same name, and later also apart of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland film adaptation.
Poem Found Here!
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. And, as in u
I also find it kinda funny that Ace and Deuce are marketed?/described as being Yuu’s bestest friends. Out of the entire main cast, out of all seven dorms—two idiotic, chaotic card soldiers are the main character’s best friends in the entirety of Twisted Wonderland. The fact that they are from Heartslabyul too, the dorm based on the origin of the Jabberwocky and home of the very concept of a Wonderland (+Twisted Wonderland)
Now, Riddle’s horse is named Vorpal, as shared in his ceremonial robes vignette. Vorpal is the only horse whose name is revealed (at least until Silver and Sebek get their equestrian club wear cards, I’m assuming)! Vorpal is a made-up word coined by Carrol; meaning sharp and deadly. This could be used to describe Riddle’s sharp personality and strong magical abilities, and also Vorpal’s deemed athletic strength as a horse.
But the word “vorpal” stems from the Vorpal Blade, which slays the Jabberwocky in the original poem, which is later visually depicted in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland movie. Yknow, speaking of Tim Burton….
Remember our gentleman Skully? King of Halloween? Skully is based on Jack Skellington, an original Tim Burton character. And if you’ve seen all those theories that Skully might have actually been an old Ramshackle dorm member when it was still a proper dorm, then his ties to Yuu only supports my theory that Yuu would have to “slay” the Jabberwocky in Chapter 8, as both Skully and the Jabberwocky have some relation with Tim Burton and the Ramshackle dorm duo.
Speaking of Skully, can we assume that he attended NRC around the 1900s? If my math makes sense, then he wouldn’t be older than Malleus, that fae prince just grew up too slowly. The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland was published in real life in 1865, following the Jabberwocky poem published ten years earlier in 1855.
If the literal TWST game first came out back in 2020, and we assume the events that happen in-game take place in the TWST equivalent of the same year, then would it be reasonable to assume Malleus was born in 1842?
2020-178 (his age on his fandom wiki bio) = 1842
So, that would mean Malleus is so ancient, he was born before Carol’s works were even published in real life, and before Skully attended NRC (or even was born since he’s a human and Malleus ages much more slowly as a fae). In this case, I assume Skully attended NRC during the 1920s as his fandom wiki bio says he attended a 100 years ago.
2020-100 = 1920
In real life, Halloween becomes much more widespread internationally around the late 20th century due to American marketing (but in the TWST universe, it’s all thanks to Skully’s hard work!) By this time, I guess Malleus would be in his elementary to adolescent years by now? And Silver may still be a baby being raised by Lilia?
I wanted to tie Skully into this considering he’s probably the closest counterpart to Yuu personality-wise compared to other event-only characters, like Rollo or Fellow Honest and Gidel. Skully is likely Yuu’s most similar shadow— both are polite and helpful (not too cold and serious, nor too overly friendly and showy). Both have some sort of figure to look up to or respect (Jack Skelington and Crowley or even Crewel as he’s actually Yuu’s homeroom teacher). He also doesn’t harbor some deep-seated hatred for Malleus (*cough cough Rollo cough*) or bitterness towards magic in general (Fellow and Rollo both).
Slaying the Jabberwocky (Grim), is Yuu’s big hero/protagonist task/role because in all the other overblot battles, they never actually got the final blow or was the one to directly defeat the overbloter in both Malleus’s dream scapes, and in the game’s real life.
-Deuce beat Vil (if I remember correctly)
-Idia beat Malleus
-Ace beat Riddle? in the dreams
Also, the vorpal sword itself in Tim Burton’s movie is shown as gold with a green crystal handle. NRC’s main ascent color or whatever is gold, and Crowley adorns gold accessories himself. The green handle represents Diasomnia’s dorm color, which also ties in those theories that Crowley is Raverne, plus it also resembles Lilia’s old Magearm that he used during the war.
Silver also believes Yuu has an affinity with swords for some reason. It’s been mentioned years ago at the start of the game, but I dunno when and what exactly made him believe in it. But eitherway, it could have been slight foreshadow all along. Yuu will pick up that upgraded sword Idia gave to Silver to cut off Malleus’s horn in Chapter 7.
All in all, I theorize that Yuu will be the one to “slay” overblot Grim, who is really inspired by the Jabberwocky beast. They’ll come suddenly dashing into the mirror hall, riding upon Vorpal— Riddle’s esteemed horse— while brandishing the sword provided by Silver. This makes for the boy who uses the vorpal blade to kill the Jabberwock in the original poem. My only concern is if Yuu could even wield the Aletheia Blade considering Idia’s amazing mom said it requires huge amounts of magical consumption to use (but that may only be for the magical part of it, and not the literal sharp sword part that slices and dices).
But the question is, what exactly would make Grim overblot in the first place…?
Idia and Azul’s faces kill me😭 Idia is really posing like a true Gen Z teen boy
I seriously can’t believe I’ve been following Twst’s storyline for five years now, although I’ve fallen off a bit (I have no idea what had happened during the Lantern event, it made no sense to me-).
Twst is seriously the only game I’ve kept following, as I just love the characters and the main plot direction sm. Every character is so unique and Twisted Wonderland is just constantly developing further. I’m looking forward to Chapter 8, but I really hope the animators and all the artists are getting a nice long break and a big fat paycheck because OMG they worked so hard during Diasomnia’s Arc!!
Now onto…
AAAAAAHHHH
Silver’s “Dawn Armor” card is so gorgeous, it almost doesn’t even look like a normal Twst card (especially the ungroovied version!).
Idia is so drippy wth😭 The king of tech wear, we need an “Idia’s Closet” game rn
Adding all of his Ch. 7 contributions to the record of all of Idia Shroud’s cool moments
I wonder if they’ll keep Malleus’s horn damaged, I mean, they’ve made a permanent design change with Ortho’s NRC uniform (if I remember correctly), and they may start to label Silver’s new cards as “Silver Vanrouge” and not just “Silver”. To be honest, I wouldn’t mind if they did considering it really signifies that he did lose a significant amount of magical power and did something so reckless and dangerous as to shroud the whole world in his unique magic.
Loved all the Ace and Yuu moments during the dream hopping parts, it was so cute🥺 and my gosh, Ace’s character development?? Ace being honest and vulnerable for once?? Amazing.
Hear me out this is ranked by a serious Potterhead who has DELVED into the associations of each house so allow me to share my thoughts on which Hogwarts house the NRC guys would possibly be sorted into —>
TREY & Cater seem like master manipulators, especially if all those overthrowing Riddle to reclaim Cater’s title as dorm leader theories are true (haven’t read Cater’s ch. 7 arc I rlly need to😭)
Azul & Vil are literally so ambitious, like Azul tried to erase his own past to theoretically present himself as a whole new, blank-slate person with absolutely no embarrassments or flaws while Vil’s determination drove him to insanity as he cunningly used Neige’s trust to try to POISON him
I think Ruggie & Jamil are very self-explanatory as they’re both ambitious & cunning, scheming guys. I chose Slytherin over Hufflepuff for Ruggie as although he’s extremely hardworking & relatively patient (he cleans up after Leona, not a job for the impatient) but he’s not actually all that loyal I don’t think. He only bonded with & followed after Leona because it would benefit him though… (now as I’m writing this I’m starting to think he might actually be a Hufflepuff-)
Silver & Sebek both showed lots of Hufflepuff traits but ultimately the events of Ch.7 pushed me to place them in Gryffindor instead. Just imagine how difficult it would be to turn your sword against the guy you’ve known & loved your whole life? The guy you had once sworn absolute obedience & loyalty to? They’re prime reinforcers as to why Neville Longbottom was in Gryffindor (it takes bravery to stand up against your own friends)
Ace & Deuce: Same thing as above but to a less extreme extent. Arguably, if the Ace is a traitor theories are true then he’d be a strong runner up for Slytherin with how cunning he is. I was hesitant with Deuce since he might be a Hufflepuff, but his background as a delinquent & his willingness to rebel against authority (cough cough Riddle cough) when he could have just stayed completely loyal like Trey (who may have just been plotting Riddle’s fall from grace then) made me put him in Gryffindor
Floyd was between Slytherin & Gryffindor but I don’t think he’s actually all that cunning? Like he knows he’s intimidating & uses that to his advantage but otherwise he doesn’t actively use detailed plots the same way Jade or Azul do? Plus, he’s just not afraid of anything; very brave
Epel was brave for being rebellious & rejecting peer pressure for the most part- definitely hard to say no when your dorm leader is a literal celebrity & accomplished student. Jack is also very self explanatory with how he’s not afraid to stand apart from the crowd (seen in Ch. 2) & he was never so blindly loyal to Leona to the point where he’d ignore or not notice his flaws
+He wasn’t on the Tier maker but I’d put Grim in Gryffindor with how recklessly brave he is (literally so chaotic & constantly defies authority)
I know what you’re all thinking but hear me out… Crowley is a bad (or at least morally grey) Hufflepuff. He preaches love, graciousness, & kindness- which are all dominantly Hufflepuff ideals, & people always overlook this but you don’t actually have to be a nice person to be in Hufflepuff. Every house is capable of producing dark wizards (there was an evil Hufflepuff in Hogwarts Legacy !) so even all those suspicions that Crowley might be downright evil could still make him a Hufflepuff, just not the stereotypical one. If he 100% idealizes kindness, even if he doesn’t positively reinforce it, then he’s still a Hufflepuff (though he is admittedly really Slytherin too)
Kalim is self-explanatory but I did kinda consider Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. Kalim is brave to keep Jamil around even after he tried to defame him & he’s strong enough to keep a genuine smile on his face despite being betrayed & facing near death situations all his life. Now I know Kalim isn’t book smart but he has really high emotional intelligence, he knows a lot more than he lets on, as shown by some of the inquisitive things he says to others
my house :p
Crewel’s got that academically smart (alchemy must be hard) & creative mix (his passion for fashion), I feel like Sam values insight & knowledge mainly to increase sales but just valuing those things makes him a Ravenclaw, & I just put Trein in Ravenclaw because he likes history & different cultures (although he could be a Hufflepuff with his loyalty, dunno though since that’s really just him being a good husband)
Lilia could be a Hufflepuff, with his love & loyalty to the Draconia royal family, but his vast wisdom & eccentricity made me put him in Ravenclaw instead, though I am kinda hesitant about it. With Leona, I know he’d totally be a Slytherin with how cunning he is & although he’s very ambitious, he’s so lazy it’s counterproductive to his desires. But I put him in Ravenclaw because he’s actually so smart & very knowledgeable, wise even
The Shroud brothers honestly could have been in Hufflepuff with their family loyalty, but Idia’s attitude pushed him into Ravenclaw instead. He also loves delving deep into his passions & interests, using knowledge to his advantage. Same with Ortho since he’s a walking encyclopedia & also takes full advantage of his constant access to data banks & the whole internet. The Shrouds are almost like eternal, nonstop knowledge gatherers, especially with how their family literally devotes themselves to researching overblot
Rook is pretty self-explanatory with his intense curiosity & his pursuit for beauty could also be interpreted as a pursuit for diversifying one’s knowledge of the world so one could embrace all the beauty within different cultures & such. But he is also very Hufflepuff with how nice & insanely loyal he is… (so loyal to all he almost isn’t loyal….)
Jade could be a Slytherin, but I don’t think he’s as ambitious as Azul? He uses cunning much more often but otherwise, his genuine fascination with mushrooms & human life places him in Ravenclaw as at his core, Jade’s really into research & gaining more knowledge of a world on land that he was once a stranger to
I was thinking Slytherin could be a good fit for Malleus but I’m hesitant for some reason ..??
Don’t know much about Vargas’s personality & I wanted to avoid just tossing him in Gryffindor to mindlessly follow the jock=Gryffindor stereotype
I know many would put Riddle in Ravenclaw, & at surface level, I would do the same. But to be in Ravenclaw you actually have to believe knowledge is power…& Riddle doesn’t actually love constantly pursuing knowledge. Even if he thinks academics are important, he would have never been studying so diligently if it wasn’t for his mother’s influence and control over his childhood….
1) Knight of Dawn (KOD) was an orphan & adopted by Henrick’s dad, hence why he feels obliged to fight for their country & his adopted family
2) Istavan Family (blood related only):
-Unnamed Father
-Unnamed Mother (the Father’s spouse)
-Henrick Istavan (the fatass standing beside KOD)
-Leia Istavan (the daughter)
3) Henrick wanted to conquer Briar Valley in the 1st place for the Princess Glow Stone that was in Meleanor’s possession. He wanted to do anything to cure his father’s otherwise incurable disease
4) Said disease could either be:
1. Cancer probably
2. Or could Henrick & Leia’s dad suffered from the same sleeping curse as Silver? Maybe it’s actually a non-recessive gene that Silver just inherited from his mom’s side..?
Henrick uses Leia to pressure/force the hesitant KOD to actually put in effort when dueling Meleanor, the fact that he even adds Leia’s name at all after a pause in his speech implies that KOD was in love with her despite them actually being step-siblings because remember; their dad adopted & raised KOD (so affinial incest??!? Assuming their parents all raised them to see each other as brothers & sister)
Henrick being related to Silver is honestly such a laughable thing, it’s so unbelievable that it’s funny
≪ °❈° ≫≪ °❈° ≫ ≪ °❈° ≫≪ °❈° ≫ ≪ °❈° ≫≪ °❈° ≫
The following paragraph is in response to this shitpost!
Silver’s blood family history seems to just add more parallels between himself & Zero Kiryuu from Vampire Knight:
-both have similar features: longish silver hair, pale skin color, aesthetics could actually be pretty similar because Diasomnia’s general aesthetic kinda matches Vampire Knight’s, & both of them have rare eye colors, with lavender for Zero & aurora for Silver
-both are stoic but good with animals (horses specifically for Zero)
-were both adopted by powerful men (ancient fae general Lilia Vanrouge & the greatest vampire hunter Kaien Cross)
In fact, they’re so similar they even both have some sort of direct or indirect relation with affinial incest in their families- with Zero being in love with Yuki despite technically being raised to see each other as siblings & Silver with his parents as written above
HELLO 🤡 I have come to you today with an analysis of Fellow Honest's motives and what they imply about the mages and non-mages in the world of Twisted Wonderland, as well as the state of magic education as it relates to one's social status.
It's a doozy, so let's get right into it!
***WARNING: Spoilers for Stage in Playful Land!!***
Fellow's resentment of the elite harkens back to something I've always suspected but also something that Twisted Wonderland has seldom gone out of its way to shine a harsh spotlight on. That "something" is the discrepancy between the "haves" and the "have-nots" in terms of magic. With the main setting of TWST being a private magic school, of course the perspective through which we view many events will be from this perspective as well... and that limits what we see and hear. Most of the NPCs we encounter (even the annoying ones, such as the Magicam Monsters from the first Halloween event) endlessly praise the NRC students just for attending a famous magic school. If we look closely though, we’ll start to see cracks in the shiny rose-colored lenses (which, coincidentally, is how Fellow’s UM name is written).
To begin with, we are told that only 10% of the human population (for the sake of argument, let's assume that most other races also have low magic rates) is even capable of magic to begin with. Of this 10%, the majority of people with the aptitude for magic only have enough to barely be able to lift a cup. In order to qualify for a prestigious magic school like Night Raven College or Royal Sword Academy, you'd literally have to be the cream of the crop and get lucky in terms of genetics. Magic cannot be learned by someone that was not born with the innate ability for it, and not everyone who is the child of a mage will be capable of magic themselves. This itself is already one HUGE barrier for entry. We now have more to consider.
Night Raven College is notably a private boarding school. This potentially means that students may need to pay a tuition fee for classes, room, and board. Perhaps this tuition doesn't exist, since NRC doesn't take applications but rather hand-selects its students. Additionally, NRC is based on a British school, and most European schools cost little to nothing to attend. However, it's hard to believe a school as fancy as NRC is a private institution that runs solely on the charity and goodwill of donors (though we do see Crowley happily accepting donations as well, specifically from the local town and from Kalim’s family). Realistically speaking, Stuff Costs Money, and if you Want Stuff, you also Need Money. NRC is not raising these mages of the future out of the goodness of their hearts, NRC is raising these mages because there is profit and prestige to be gained from the endeavor. What if there are students who are picked to go but end up having to leave because they can’t afford it?? This point is just speculative though; I won’t count it as actual evidence since there is no in-game lore which confirms tuition. We do know, however, that students do at least have to pay for their dorm uniforms, as Ruggie has mentioned he could not afford one—hence why he wears a hand/me-down from Leona. We also know students are on their own when it comes to paying for their food, as both Ruggie and Deuce mention being low on cash in reference to buying meals/snacks. Buuuuut even if we discount that money is a factor that gatekeeps some selected students from attending or having the cash to just get by on a daily basis, what we cannot ignore is that money inherently puts some people ahead of others before magic schools even recruit them.
Because the majority of those in Twisted Wonderland are incapable of using magic, magic is not typically included in general education. This means that if your kid manifests magic and you want them to be "ahead of the curve", you'd need to seek out resources for magic training and education. Now, this could mean reading materials, private tutoring, or reaching out to mages you know of. The problem with all of these things is that they tend to require money and/or connections, which are things not everyone has access to. (Note: research has shown that money opens up and expands one's connections, which still puts the rich in an advantageous position compared to the less fortunate. There are also studies that show impoverished people who happen to have rich friends have a better chance of raising their own social standing just because of the doors and connections that rich friend can open for them.) Look at who in the main cast remarks on having formal magic training: literal royalty like Leona and the upper middle class like Riddle. Again, one could say that because schools like NRC appear to hand-pick students regardless of how much formal magic training they had prior to enrollment. However, the fact remains that it simply looks better to potential recruiters (using this blanket term because we don't know how magic schools besides NRC gets its students) and better prepares the child for magic school curriculum to get an early start on it.
Looking back at the 22 boys that make up the main cast, close to three-quarters or ~75% of them come from at least upper middle-class backgrounds and quite a few could classify as wealthy:
Riddle's parents are both doctors, with Riddle's mom in particular being well-known and well-regarded in their home community.
Cater's dad is a banker; his position is high enough up that he needs to relocate every so often (presumably to service their largest or most important firms).
Leona is a literal prince. Even if he isn't destined to be king, he still has access to the resources and wealth avaliable to a royal.
Azul's mom owns the most popular restaurant in the entire Coral Sea (have you seen how large the Coral Sea is on the world map???), and his stepdad is a lawyer.
The twins' family is said to be well-off; they are able to afford luxuries like fancy clothes and Mr. Leech stresses the importance of manners and presentation. He is implied to have business associates who are also well-off and would like to get in his good graces. (Popular fan speculation is that the Leeches are a crime family.)
Kalim is the heir to a massive family fortune and trading business.
Jamil, as Kalim's attendant, is also from a reasonably well-off family; they are compensated handsomely for handling the Asims.
Vil's father is an A-list celebrity, and Vil is also one himself.
We don't know the specifics of what Rook's family does, but it must be well-paying, as we learn in book 5 that the Hunts have villas all over Twisted Wonderland, as well as permissions for international travel via warp pads.
Idia and Ortho's family run a secret organization that researches blot. S.T.Y.X. is so secretive that basically only those in super high positions like Crowley and Leona would know about them. Let's also not forget that the Shrouds have ties to the Jupiter Conglomerate and the Olympus Corp, which is a tech giant in the world of TWST.
Malleus is prince AND the heir to his kingdom’s throne. He is also one of the top 5 most powerful mages in the entire WORLD.
Lilia is a renown war general and a close friend of royalty. He raised a young Malleus as well.
Silver is Lilia's adopted son and is actually a prince himself.
Sebek's parents are dentists. They make mad money. His grandfather is also a respected knight that served alongside Lilia.
Notice how all the dorm leaders are upper middle class or higher; the vice dorm leaders have ONE normal person (Trey); in Playful Land, Trey confesses to living a comfortable life so we know he must be at least middle class.
We can try to argue all we like that NRC doesn't discriminate based on social status for their selections, but if that's the case then why are so few of the main cast from impoverished or low-income families? Only Ace, Trey, and Jack count as squarely middle class. Ruggie is the only example we have of someone from a very low socioeconomic status rising up to be among "elites". The other example is Deuce, who comes from a single parent household and has implied they don't have a lot of money (for example: how the VDC/SDC earnings will help out his family). (Epel is kind of a ??? case because depending on where in the story you are, his family could be in financial trouble or not; in book 5, they imply his entire village is having difficulties selling product until Vil promotes Harveston apples on his Magicam.) Maybe it's unfair to say that 22 students out of 800ish is representative of the makeup of the entire NRC student population (or represents the composition of all magic schools), but the single digit representation of low-income students is also true of real-life elite schools. They are private schools for a reason; it naturally gatekeeps who is and isn't "allowed" to attend, leading to the majority of its students being members of the elite.
Another thing to consider is legacy students. This term refers to the increased likelihood of people being accepted into a school if they had a relative that also attended that school. We know of two instances of this happening: Ace's brother and Sebek's brother also went to and graduated from Night Raven College. Ace even makes a remark during his sorting ceremony that he ended up in the same dorm as his older brother "as expected". If magic aptitude is genetic, then perhaps it makes sense to recruit from the same families--but again, this is inherently restrictive, as you would continuously be culling from the same pools generation after generation.
Back on the topic of bloodlines and family, what about Kalim, who has an extensive family? There will be no shortage of Asim mages going to NRC just because of legacy (Jamil even alludes to the fact that the previous Scarabia dorm leader was an Asim relative, and his recommendation is what got Kalim the dorm leader seat). And speaking of Kalim, consider instances where rich families are able to bribe faculty (lookin' at YOU, Crowley) or donate a large sum to get their kid ahead or to be given priority over others that may be more qualified than them (RIP Jamil). To continue off that point, NRC itself is structured as a "dog eat dog" world. Those with inherently more magical ability have the right to trump over others. You can duel and lose your dorm seat to a more powerful mage, even if you trump them in terms of merit or leadership qualities. Students feel a sense of duty to obey those who have bested them in battle (ie Epel's servitude to Vil). Everyone fears Malleus. Your magical power is respected above all else.
Attitudes surrounding magic have notably shifted from fear of it several hundreds of years ago (around the human-fae war, back when “witch” and “wizard” were used in a derogatory sense) to recognizing it for its strengths and actively seeking it or granting some favoritism to those who have it. There is, in fact, now class discrimination in based on whether or not you can use magic. We got an early instance of this as early as book 1 of the main story, when Riddle insults Yuu for their upbringing and their inability to use magic. It’s something that clearly rubs Ace, who has a magicless father, the wrong way, and he stands up for Yuu. There are other subtle hints about this divide sprinkled throughout the lore. For example, Ruggie has a voice line which he indicates that the slums where he comes from doesn’t produce many magic users. Again, recall that magic runs in bloodlines. This could potentially allude to a past where those without magic were forced into lower income neighborhoods, which results in pockets like Ruggie’s hometown with a high population of magicless individuals living in poverty. This doesn’t appear to be a large scale issue (perhaps its only an isolated case?), but this is worth paying attention to.
This could all translate into the professional world too. Some jobs are entirely locked behind magic (ie you just cannot do them or pursue them if you don't have the magical ability for it). Some jobs DO require magic (ie medical mages like Riddle's parents, magic police force officers, technomantic inventors, etc) and probably additional training that goes with it. As a result, I'd imagine that these magic-intensive jobs pay quite a bit more. There may also be overall more job opportunities for those capable of magic, since magic is so much more efficient than doing things by hand. It means more retention of wealth and/or more upward mobility for the few impoverished that are able to enter magic schools. (This is, of course, not including the few and far between cases of regular people who get rich in select industries, such as Kalim’s father.) Recall too that NRC requires its students to take internships during their 4th years, many placements being with very prestigious groups and organizations such as pro-sports teams, labs, tech giants, etc. Being able to attend a prestigious school with connections grants those elite students even more opportunities than the average person.
Then think about what this means for people who fall short of these standards that these magic schools set. We actually have examples of them in book 5 of the main story: when Deuce and Epel are reconciling on the beach, a bunch of delinquents from another school come along and start checking out Deuce’s borrowed magical wheel. Through the NPCs’ exchange, we learn that one of them has enough magic to power a magical wheel, but not enough to so much else. This NPC also couldn’t keep up in class and dropped out of a magic school. He then becomes insulted when Deuce implies he is “a beginner”, so this is obviously a very sore spot for him. Additionally, consider how magic can be used to oppress and lord power over others. Deuce himself is guilty for summoning cauldrons to crush rival delinquents in fights back in Clock Town—even if those delinquents lacked magic themselves. Similarly, Epel is implied to use magic to gain an upper hand against those that bullied him back home. This all implies a social divide between those with magic and those without, and begs bigger questions.
What happens to the ones that don’t make it? The ones that get left behind? The ones without the magic to make it “big”? This is the root of Fellow’s anger; he’s mad at a system that cast people like him (someone with very little magic) and Gidel (a non-mage) aside. They don’t get the opportunity to make better futures for themselves. They’re looked down on by high-up institutions that basically tell them they’re not good enough.
Knowing all of this, the deck appears to be stacked against the poor and non-mages. It’s no wonder why Fellow is so mad.
THIS ACTUALLY HARKENS BACK TO WHAT ROLLO SAID IN 5-2 OF GLORIOUS MASQUERADE… "When you have too little [magic], you're resentful. And when you have plenty [of magic], you're arrogant. You can never content yourselves." The NRC boys are arrogant (this is the side of the story we’ve always known due to seeing the world mainly from their perspective). They are the “haves”. But everyone else??? They’re scrounging for the scraps. Fellow falls into that former category; he IS the guy that’s resentful because of his lack of magic and how something he cannot control has already determined where he and Gidel will stand in life no matter how hard they work. They can never hope to rise out of poverty, and there’s nothing they can do about it. That must be soul-crushing.
When Fellow praises the NRC boys in that overly exaggerated way, he’s obviously being shady and facetious—however, there is also a kernel of truth behind this behavior. Most other NPCs we’ve met have spoken about the NRC boys favorably just because of their affiliation with a prestigious school. It’s the same way people might be impressed if you walked around in an Ivy League branded hoodie or something. People automatically associate you with the school’s shiny and exclusive reputation, and thus assume you are also intelligent, talented, etc. Then, in the same way being constantly put on a pedestal like this might result in the students getting swelled heads, this only further feeds into the NRC kids’ egos. They so privileged they don’t even recognize it. And that makes Fellow fucking FUME.
Look back at Fellow's dialogue. He is constantly mentioning the prestige of the school the boys go to, or adding on extra compliments about their status and skills. He's ass-kissing to his boss, who is also wealthy or part of the upper class, then insults the boss once he hangs up. Fellow is always in a position where he HAS to be subservient to the upper class in order to make his money and get by, and he finds that entirely unfair. Imagine having to simper and placate people you absolutely despise and blame for your problems every day, people who are gorging themselves on luxuries, coasting by in life, taking everything they have for granted while you get by on pennies—that has to get frustrating.
I want to briefly mention here that, in addition to praising the NRC students to high heaven, Fellow also talks down his own skills. He cheerfully calls himself a loser and says that no matter how much he trains, he could never reach their caliber of magic. Yes, Fellow is exaggerating to get the kids to think they’ve won, but I also have to wonder if he’s parroting the same phrases he was told long ago, from people who doubted him and never thought he’d make it. If that’s the case, then I get the sense that Fellow is in a way “reclaiming” his autonomy and power by adopting those same cruel words and using them as a strength. He admits to being “weak” but is also proud of the fact that he can utilize his magic along with his natural charisma to get a leg up over others. It further fuels his new belief that going to an elite school doesn’t matter, it’s practical skills that will serve you well.
Okay, back to talking about his shitty work situation! Fellow’s employer clearly doesn’t treat him with decency. They berate him, make unreasonable demands, act impatient, etc. They are a typical depiction of a toxic workplace and boss. This can also be read as shorthand for the relation between the rich and the poor, and how that may have shaped (or worsened) Fellow’s views on others of the privileged class. He makes many assumptions about the NRC students without really getting to know them, calling them entitled brats. Why? Because these descriptors likely apply to the higher-ups Fellow has always slaved away for. This, in combination with his own experiences in being rejected from magic academia, has created a person who feels trodden on by society and by the upper echelons who run it and benefit off the system.
Fellow himself is the perfect example of someone who was failed by said system. He has dialogue stating that he was never given the chance to learn because his magic was not considered strong enough. Still, he tried to make an effort to earn that chance among to elites and to study among them. Fellow was rejected, ridiculed, and told he had “forgotten his place”, what he had been born into. There were expectations he couldn’t meet, and so Fellow was thrown away like a broken toy. He has failed not because he didn’t try, but because he was denied the opportunity to begin with. This is where is rage stems from. Fellow despises the students of those same kinds of institutions who kicked him down, students who don’t realize how fortunate they are for their educations and will likely continue to perpetuate the system.
What, then, does that means for his signature spell, which is closely tied to one’s identity? Let’s take a magnifying glass to it. As previously mentioned, the name for Fellow’s spell is written as “Rose-Tinted Dream”, but it is said out loud as “Life is Fun”. The chant for it is, “Come on to the theater” (notably said in English rather than in Japanese). Both the spell and the incantation are references to the song Honest John sings in Pinocchio, Hi- Diddle-Dee-Dee. And… well, the whole UM in of itself is one big cruel joke given his circumstances now.
I think this spell is representative of a young Fellow still full of hopes and dreams, looking forward to studying at a magic school. But then those dreams are shattered and he has to commit terrible crimes to survive day-to-day, and he seems to have given up on his dreams. He even goes so far as to protect Gidel from having the same hopes he once did, telling Yuu to not put silly ideas in his head when Gidel expressed curiosity about school. At the same time, he delights in crushing the hopes of those he deems his enemies (stating that he wanted to betray Kalim to “teach him a lesson” about how cruel the world is). Fellow knows the truth: that life isn’t fun, that it will disappoint you and will put you down. His actions are very cowardly as well—he uses tricks and deception, he runs away from his problems instead of properly addressing them, the NRC students remark on his lack of pride. Fellow has had to throw away so much to scrape by. Yet his UM symbolizes someone brimming with hope—so perhaps it’s a UM he manifested when Fellow still thought he had a chance?? And then people made fun of him for it being so weak?? Alternatively, maybe he didn’t get his UM until after his dreams were crushed so he’s looking back on those nostalgic days of blissful ignorance with rose-colored lenses (which is, again, maybe why his UM magic name is written as “Rose Tinted Dream”). A UM that is a reflection of one’s true self, yet that same identity is one that has been forced to be discarded. That’s the reason why, despite all the swindling and scamming, I don’t think Fellow’s enthusiasm for fun is a lie. That’s the one “real” part of him, but even that’s been repurposed to help him live on scraps, something innocent twisted 😭 and that’s really sad to think about…
But also??? You could argue that Fellow still has a little bit of that lost inner child and hope left in him. He tries to defend Gidel’s understanding of the world and has goals of starting his own school despite how poorly he originally spoke about these institutions. (So Fellow does appear to care about children and their futures.) He also has a childish streak despite being an adult, demonstrated by his use of cowardly tactics, taunting kids, and abruptly quitting his job to then destroy his workplace. Fellow himself states that he “just tries to live a free and fun life”, this his pursuit of money and pleasure. This could all play into being what defines Fellow and thus his UM. It embodies a spirit of playfulness event when he has been crushed under the weight of an unglamorous life.
I’ve heard people saying that while Rollo is Idia’s dark mirror and Fellow is Ruggie’s. They have similar backstories but ultimately their fates are different and left the former two down far more sinister paths. Just as Rollo is an Idia that turned his anger outward instead of inward, Fellow is Ruggie had he not been given a chance to receive an education to elevate his social status and job prospects. Fellow and Ruggie both cling to rich, powerful benefactors/bosses and do their dirty work to get on by—a big difference is that Leona, while he does also work Ruggie to the bone, also has some conscience. Something else to consider is that while Ruggie prioritizes making a life for himself by studying and securing a stable, well-paying job, Fellow is focused moreso on the accumulation of wealth itself (as he suggests to Kalim he’ll take a bribe to let him go free and quits when there is no longer money to be gained from his boss). Both don’t really care how they get their money (even if it is by dirty means), but ultimately Ruggie’s way of making cash is more sustainable in the long run. Yet Fellow ultimately realizes the importance of school deep down despite constantly denying it when the NRC students tell him of it. Fellow is in denial because that’s the only way he can cope and justify his lifestyle. He’s confused when finally confronted with students who are his ideal of “happy and free”, even when they’re in an educational system that he views as shackling people into strict roles. The way he laments about not being able to go to school is also very reminiscent of an adult mourning a lost or unfulfilling childhood, which is quite a depressing scenario…
Fellow is the one that got the short end of the stick in life. Ruggie met Leona, and Leona technically uplifted him in his endeavors, tutored him into getting decent grades and giving him hand-me-downs and money in exchange for his services. Fellow never had that kind of support system, he was just insulted and bullied into giving up and had to find an alternative way to keep himself going 😔
Personally, I think Fellow could also be a dark mirror to Kalim, no?? They exist on opposite ends of a social spectrum. Kalim has everything and Fellow had nothing. What’s more, Kalim is still wide-eyed and trusting. He is the only one willing to try words instead of fighting him and instantly labeling him as the enemy. Meanwhile, Fellow has become bitter because of how the world has betrayed him. He wants to take that trust Kalim has and show him how cruel everything truly is. Why is he fixated on that? Why even offer in the first place if he never intended on going through with it? Why does he want to rub it in Kalim’s face in particular? Maybe it’s because Kalim seems rich and dumb, as Fellow claims, but maybe it’s because there is envy there. Sure, Fellow is upset about Kalim being a sheltered brat that faces no challenges in life, but I also feel like he’s jealous that Kalim can still afford to think this way. That he can still afford to be cheerful, that he can still be a dreamer. Fellow was alluded to be like that once—but he can’t be like that anymore, not when he has to look out for himself and Gidel.
Side note, another comparison! Recall that Kalim’s Oasis Maker is also a UM that uses a little bit of magic. However, Kalim does not know of many creative ways to use his spell, as there is no real reason to since his home country has lots of canals and irrigation. He therefore deems his UM as pretty useless. Fellow meanwhile has what most consider a weak UM but he fully utilizes it to his advantage and pairs it well with his natural charm to maximize its effects. He had to develop these skills because he was in pressing circumstances in which they would benefit him. This contributes to the “mirror” theme between the two.
Thinking about it, it’s ultimately Kalim’s words that convince Fellow to turn on his employer. (The other bots certainly wore Fellow down and planted the seeds of doubt, but it’s Kalim that I believe fully resonates with Fellow.) He can so happily talk about why he loves school, even though he doesn’t do well at it (something I presume is also true of Fellow, since he is lacking in tons of magic). It’s not said in a particularly articulate manner, but it’s so candid in its presentation. Kalim is relating to him based on similar skillset (or lack thereof) and sharing fond memories of his time at school, reviving the hopeful “lost child” in Fellow. Kalim is probably the first wealthy person in a long time that was friendly, kind, and supportive to him. And here he is, reassuring Fellow his dreams are still possible, to not give up. That’s the final nail that allows Fellow to be “honest” with himself and his inner child. It’s what leads to that slew of irresponsible actions at the end of the event (letting people free, blasting the amusement park, driving a sinking ship, etc.).
At the end of Stage in Playful Land, we see that Fellow never really let that childlike side of him fully die. (It seems to have been concealed under a desire for money and appeasing his boss.) He shares his dream of creating his own great school to give educational opportunities to non-mages and mages with low magical reserves like Gidel and himself, a school that teaches practical life lessons. He wants to promote his own ideals and to change the system he hates from the inside out. This was never communicated to us before most likely because Fellow had renounced those ideas in favor of blind hatred and a lack of faith in the world and those that dominate it.
Fellow also acknowledges that life may be even more difficult for him and Gidel going forward, as now they lack the money for even food and no longer have jobs. Furthermore, they need to worry about their ex-employers coming after them for what they’ve done. Even so, Fellow faces it all with a smile and reassures everyone that they can transfer or visit to play… “on this shining stage called life”. He and Gidel are able to walk away with their whimsy preserved, and can still be that which they’ve always wanted to be: dreamers.
All of this is to say that Rollo was right all along about magic, he never misses—
I tried my best…so many different choices, please keep in mind that probably all of them would likely have multiple songs that represent them well or even share songs, either way this is all just for fun so yeah!!
🐉: the whole song is apparently about death & love coming together, sleep=death, love= his relationships with the other characters
🦇: his whole life changed once he met Silver & Malleus
⚔️: it’s a song abt going/finding home
🐊: rlly difficult choice but this feels right- cherished every memory w/ his found fam (mostly) as his life is on the line during chapter 7, seems to carry bits & pieces of them to stay strong
💀: in the name + the verses are abt the way things were with someone (the way things rlly were w/ Ortho) & the chorus was all thinking abt how things could’ve gone (Idia wishes Ortho had never overblotted)
🤖: Idia almost always says yes to him, hence the lyrics. He watches over Idia & is his heaven😔
👑: he literally fears turning old + it’s apart of a movie soundtrack.
🏹: he loves everything & everyone, wants to live in the moment
🍎: similar to Ride, but seems to be abt how you can choose whether to be happy or sad, Epel could have overpowered his stubbornness if he originally tried adapting into Pomefiore
☀️: his money protects him, sure, but the world’s problems will eventually catch up to him-displays his naivety
🐍: lyrics kinda sound like he’d be lamenting over his losses right before Azul turns his “live stream” on)
🐙: he seems all nice & genuine until you realize he’s a mafia boss-
🍄: abt desire, longing, hedonism, the allure of the unknown- the lyrics themselves just straightforward, it’s all Jade-coded
🦈: his constant pursuit of hedonism
🦁: he was actually happy in Savanaclaw this whole time, but kept chasing aft the crown even tho happiness was right beside him
🍩: bec of that 1 verse that’s like “we don’t need money, we can make it all work” but the guy leaves to go make money anyways
🐺: the song is abt self-expression, self-assurance, & inner power- very Jack mentality
🌹: it describes his relationship w/ his mom & how he wants ppl to comfort him
☘️: he feels trapped w/ defending Riddle, also the revealer of his evil mom, lyrics show a hint of his sadist side, & he turned a blind eye to Riddle’s early tyranny, hence the storyline that goes w/ all the lyrics
♦️: abt living in the moment, appreciating ppl ard him. Love vs. ambitions, kinda sounds like someone trying to fit in
♥️: bec he’s no good for me:p + I feel the lyrics could literally describe his way of life & some of his morals
♠️: literally Deuce’s song😭😭!! Song abt starting over & self-discovery
Heyyyyy, here comes my ramble of the *checks notes* week I think?
Anyway this is an expansion of this post
Kalim and his sense of self-worth
Note: 1) this is a ramble so my English might not be the best in this, but I hope that it'll turn out readable enough. 2) this might not be accurate to canon, it's just my perception of the character(s), I'm sorry for any inaccuracies.
Anyways, if you did read the linked post this is basically my thought process before getting to that conclusion:
Do you ever wonder if Kalim thinks lowly of himself? If he believes he's replaceable despite being the heir bc of all the siblings he has? If he thinks about how his own family attempts against his life so one of his siblings becomes the next heir? About how they just see him as a target instead of a person? About how he was born, he was just a baby, and there was already people who wanted him dead?
Do you ever think about how no one considers him outside of his status? People get close to him, take advantage of him, try to kill him just bc of his title. He probably doesn't have any sense of person-hood outside of being the heir of the Asim
And then his best friend, the only person he trusted the most made sure that Kalim was virtually useless as a person. Yeah, I love Jamil and I know he has reasons for it but that doesn't mean I won't acknowledge how much it affects Kalim negatively that Jamil never let him learn not even the most basic skills. He set him up to failure (though I don't blame Jamil for trying to look after himself and his family, also the fact that he started taking care of Kalim as a literal child himself)
And then it turns out his best friend betrayed him and hates him for reasons that, while justified, aren't even his fault, but he cares and loves his friend so what does he do? He forgives him and keeps silent about the betrayal bc that's the only way he can protect Jamil. Kalim isn't dumb or naive when he forgives him, he's aware that he can punish him or let his parents (or even Jamil's) punish him, he's aware he can take everything from Jamil, even his life, if he wishes to. He's aware to some extent that Jamil needs him more than he needs him, even if Jamil isn't aware himself. That's why he keeps silent, to protect the only friend he trusted with his life
Anyway, this is why I think Kalim believes his unlovable even if he's a likable person
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