Second account (just in case). Post stuff whenever feel like it here. You can find me as KingPotato (Картофанчик).
I can and will use swear words. And NO ONE can stop me.
Actually no, babe, put your clothes back on, we're discussing Sunday's design and how it relates to his past and present / future in my desparate over-analyzing eyes. Get ready because if i manage to find out enough to talk about, it's gonna be a long one.
Warning: most of this is probably just gonna be me thinking about things too much!
Here's a playable Sunday and then an NPC Sunday for reference!
LET'S START WITH HIS LEFT SIDE — well, left from his perspective. I'll refer to it as the left side, the white side or the past side.
How about we start from the top, too? Let's go with the piercings in his wings. Look at those things! Uncomfortable as hell, probably because they're going through the actual bones in his wings. As many other people have probably said, these represent clipped wings to me. After all, he IS referred to as the ‘traveler whose wings were clipped’ — or something like that, give me a break. I'm analyzing his design, not the words used for him. Clipped wings, Gopher Wood — you get where I'm going with this. His past.
Down a little further to the insignia / badge thingy??? on his chest. Doesn't that look really similar to the one on his NPC design? I don't know, they're not the same, but they look too similar for coincidence to me. If anyone knows what it is, tell me please! I'd love to be more accurate. Anyway, that part is pretty self-explanatory too; it's literally part of his past design. Boom.
Next up! See that little bit cut out of the white material on his shoulder, revealing the purple shirt underneath ? That's the same shirt from his NPC design. Same as Point Number 2: part of his past design. Nice. You can see more of his past, etc. etc. You get it. The same applies to further down where the white, larger sleeve ends, and you can see more of the purple undershirt.
This is where the over-analyzing really comes in: the band on his left arm, pulling in the shirt. Like, when I say pulling, I mean it's pulling it in, not just keeping it in place. Seems a little too tight for comfort — that's why I'm saying that it COULD be showing how past Sunday kept himself ‘pulled in’, reserved, being exactly who he needed to be, even. You get my going.
Running out of things to talk about... How about Sunday's left glove? Golden thorns all over it. Again, pretty self-explanatory. But I'm not just gonna talk about the thorns, I'm also gonna talk about the golden jewellery. I'm thinking WAY too far into this, but to me gold always feels waaaay more extravagant and regal than any other metal, so I think it could be intentional that on the side with so many connotations to his past, Sunday has regal golden jewellery, representing his previous high status.
Okay, this is my final point on the left side — it's white. That's it. The whole point is that it's white, just like his NPC design. Just like his past. Wow, look at me, making a genuine short point! Damn.
Okay, so that's his past side done! But what about SUNDAY'S RIGHT SIDE, representing his present and future?
Nice! Okay, let's start essentially repeating points! From what I can see, the right side is way less... busy, than the left side. Like, seriously, there's a lot less in items going on. Am I trying to talk about this because there's less for me to say about this side? Perhaps. But I'm taking it to mean that he's got way less responsibilities now.
Next stop, the band around his right arm. I mentioned its mirror part on his left arm in Point 3 of the previous section, remember? It's quite a bit looser, and from what I can see, the fabric is way less bunched up around it. Humor me, and let's just say this is talking about how he feels he doesn't have to be so much any more. Oh, but also — since he doesn't have to be so much, he knows that the Astral Express hasn't just taken him on because they need him for something. He knows that they want him around, and he wouldn't be there if it was anything otherwise. After all, he's broke, on the run, and fought them multiple times.
How about his purple undershirt now? Or, well, the lack of it. You can't see it on his shoulder or where his sleeve ends, and you can take this as meaning he's trying to move past what is effectively his previous life, or you can take it as meaning that he's trying to hide it and run away! Depends on how sad you wanna be.
The book on his waist is also on his right side! He picks it up in all of his attacks and both his idles — I'm saying that this means the ‘source’ of his power is coming from his present and future, not his past.
Let's talk about his gloves again! No thorns this time, unlike the glove on his left side. But not just that: remember the golden rings I mentioned in Point 5 of the previous section? This time, they're silver. To me, silver is much less regal than gold; more of a quiet shine. His present, despite the fact that he's on the Astral Express, is still a lot quieter than his past.
Clinging for straws here, but the thorn necklace thingy he has on is shorter on the left side — I'm thinking, he's beginning to let the thorns go and recover, because that guy needs it. I'm kinda desperate for more points by now.
Once again, here's my final point; the majority of the right side is blue. Blue is commonly known to have connotations of the sea, but also the sky — AKA, he's letting go of his previous responsibilities and leaving to see the sky. Well, to travel space, but you get the point.
Anyway, that's my whole analysis! Thank you for reading :D and I don't know how to end this so have another picture of his dumb fucking guy. Look at his face. Now.
Oh, to be a knight of beauty... to compliment everyone, to never shut up, to fight for the beauty all day and night.... leaving petals of roses and being dramatic as fuck....
He is just... standing there. Looking out the window. And yet that is already enough for me to think about this bird-man for far too long than necessary.
I have so much respect for people who can draw backgrounds/landscapes/stuff like that. And not just once in a while, but constantly and consistently well. So it would make sence. Sweet strawberry...