#sh askbox

[okage-kirana]

How John first saw Kate is so cute!!!!

Context: John saw Emilico fell out of a window so he snuck outside to see more then he saw Kate running by. Then the rest is "Love at first sight" sequence

John is so wholesome and adorable,he can be show-off,annoying,brash,not very attentive,don't listen to others,quirky and noisy but he's a really good guy and he's respectful and he respect others' boundaries including the living dolls too

Also I think he's the "quirky character" trope done right,bc I heard there are some of those quirky characters who are flat out abominations and annoying shits who think they're funny but they're not and also zero likeable traits

John is your best boi,he maybe too overly energetic and noisy but he's a good boi. Plus it's absolutely normal for kids his age to act like him,many people don't seem to like his archetype of characterization and just put him as "Kate's simp",like is he really just that one note? The boi is willing to protect his crush as well as his friends too, I don't think being a simp is the only "worth" of his

Oh how I love those tiny flashback snippets! It is incredibly adorable~

For the whole thing, yes, I agree with you! On the surface, he's usually just seen as 'that one boy who has a massive crush on Kate'. A loud, strong, but air-headed Shadow. Although he may be annoying, he never has ill intention and understands boundary. John is a precious character who never disregards anyone blatantly, nor does he hold grudge against someone for so long.

He is not just 'a simp', he's pretty well-written! John is a great character and a nice example of an energetic young teen (which is, also, kinda cute-sad considering he somehow represents Shaun's inner child).

[okage-kirana]

Let's talk about the adults of the 1st floor shall we? This is a scene of their conversation concerning the dolls during the debut game

First pic is Joseph speaking:

Second pic is Sophie speaking:

Context: Dorothy and Ryan were talking about how Shaun and Emilico should've had used cruel means to eliminate their friends,they were talking about Ram, Shaun, Emilico, who were already friends at that time

Then both Sophie and Joseph shot down their cruel resolutions which the dolls should use on the basic those three are already friends so they wouldn't use such methods, which made Dorothy and Ryan feel that the other two shadows sitting opposite them were real killjoys

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The last one is both Dorothy and Ryan's literal synchronized thought:

I think this scene show us the First floor adults' personalities:

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Ryan and Dorothy are sadistic,cruel,they said cruel things and act very bold so they possibly resort to unethical measures so things would go their ways

Ryan is much more barbaric, it's said in his description that he's "a violent man who has perverse thoughts",he wanted to see losers rather than winners too,he gets angry if everyone wins,the guy said that himself

Dorothy is often more elegant so she wouldn't throw hands unlike Ryan,rather she uses her words,we see her playfully mocking the dolls condescendingly and even laugh when Shaun walked into a trap and fell into a pit hole during the Debut's game. She sounds very strong when she demanded Aileen too

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Sophie and Joseph are calm, reserved,composed. Their ways of speaking are also logical and polite too,not outright insulting like Ryan and Dorothy

Joseph is a logical and calm gentleman pretty much contradict his big size, he provides reasons, information for arguments rather than claiming something which isn't proven right away like what he said above,the mentioned dolls are friends so they wouldn't backstab eachother like what Ryan and Dorothy said they should do. He also pointed out at Dorothy and Ryan's lack of knowledge which is not reading the profiles that were provided on the participants

Sophie is pretty much the same as Joseph,she wouldn't say things based on predictions alone. Dorothy even mentioned when she gets excited she acts unusual to her normal behaviour,her calm demeanor. Just like what Sophie said above,Ryan and Dorothy were talking about what they would've done if they were Shaun and Emilico,which is backstabbing their competitors/friends,to which Sophie counteracted that they aren't Shaun and Emilico so they shouldn't say that. Put it in more bold terms,it's an insult to their lack of knowledge too:"You both aren't Emilico and Shaun so don't go making up stupid what-would-I-do solutions like that. It's a waste of breath" .Which added more salt to injuries on what Joseph said before that

Joseph and Sophie were also on par with eachother too, barely a second after Joseph finished his statement, Sophie already continued on and further proven, supported what he said

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Their seatings are also telling of their relationships. Usually you sit with someone you're close with or someone you're on a good term with right? Dorothy and Ryan are seated next to eachother, opposite to them are Sophie and Joseph who are also seated next to eachother

The two pairs are seated opposite to eachother which can implies that the pairs are literally polar opposite correct? It could also even hinted at the relationships of Dorothy and Ryan as well as Sophie and Joseph as having been close with eachother prior to the current time too,maybe since they were in the children's wing?

Yes we saw these four were on a somewhat decent term in the first episode. Sophie and Dorothy were modelling for a portrait together,Joseph and Ryan were playing cards and drinking wine together too. Still it wouldn't mean they have very close relationships,after all Dorothy and Ryan did say Sophie and Joseph were so unlikeable to them, which also means Dorothy and Ryan do not like it when someone disagrees with them

Even when doing the children selections, they go in pairs too, Sophie-Joseph and Dorothy-Ryan. After all why would you go do an important duty with someone you don't like unless forced? It's usually quite unlike that

In conclusion,Dorothy and Ryan usually act bold,mean,arrogant while Sophie and Joseph usually act calm,reserved,logical. Both pairs have a somewhat acquaintances or coworkers relationship

I also theorised that the pairs might be engaged or even married. You see how each pair act with eachother, I heard engagement and marriage mentioned in the story many times now, I don't think that was unimportant, I heard that the children can get engaged so when they become adults,they can get married. It's fun to think about honestly, I even thought that sweater-like upper clothing Joseph is wearing was made by Sophie, since she's butterfly themed,she probably reared silkworms herself and then made a sweater from the silk produced by the silkworms, the texture of Joseph's sweater-like upper clothing doesn't look like it was made from wool. These are just speculations, I'm not that adept in clothing

Hope you like this analysis!!!!

My, that was a lengthy post! I love your theory and analysis so much. Even I, who questions things a lot over everything, couldn't write out detailed possibility of things out from my brain!

Regarding their relationships, I'm aware and agree with your analysis on which one is closer to who based on their personalities and speech manner to each other. I can see both pairs either being engaged-married or just higher-ups coworkers, but I do love the headcanon of Sophie x Joseph being together just because, especially for the last part of your explanations ww

Thank you so much for your insight, it was fun to read! <3

[okage-kirana]

Yeah a Shadows House AU about the life of a child shadow born from two Unified Shadows sounds interesting

Instead of the Great Grandfather,we got the Great Grandmother. What if when two Unified Shadows gave birth to a child and they would be a family for a time until the child reached a certain age,about Kate's age when she started her life in the Manor,the child will be sent to a "boarding school" called Shadows Academy. They have teachers working for the Shadows House,an academy doesn't sound so far fetched at all

The child would be told it's mandatory for the children of their big "family" to go to the Academy when they reach a certain age by their parents

Man this scene can be fucked up,if the parents only viewed their child as a mere needed product for the House then they would probably sweetly lied to the child and said if they did it good, they can see their parents again and be deservedly rewarded, however if they don't succeed,they'll be abandoned and discarded as "Mother and Father do not need such a useless Son/Daughter"

It's feudal Europe, it's normal behaviour then it's still normal now though not really recommended by experts these days. Not to mention, Shadows House was originally a Japanese manga so Asian parents tendencies also work, this is also coming from me who's an Asian

It would be still be real sad angst if the parents grew attached to the child and grew to love their own offspring. They will probably try to make going to the Academy sounds fun, like you can new friends and meet your cousins from your 'aunts' and 'uncles',they can only hope that their child would be safe and sound when they're sent off,being traumatized isn't gonna be an option at the Academy

The Headmistress is also called the Great Grandmother. The House really emphasize family despite it's always "survival of the best" mindset when you live in the Shadows House

Also imagine the PARENTS-TEACHERS MEETING / INTERVIEW !!!!!

Teacher: Ma'am I'm sorry to tell you this but your child is getting bad grades

Mrs A: Oh my god!! *Literally fainted*

Mr A: Oh my god,honey wake up!!!!

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Mr B: See I told you my child is much more better than that brat of yours!!!

Mr C: GODDAMN IT!!!!

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_When the parents are invited to watch their children at their final exams:

Mrs D: IT'S OKAY SWEETIE MOMMY'S HERE!!!!

Teacher: Ma'am you can't go out there when your child is doing his/her test!!!!!

Could be similarly to the Debut system. I don't think the parents are allowed to personally visit their children unless they're invited. After all the first lesson the Academy would teach the new students is how to be independent from your parents and the "nest"

Quite a detailed AU ideas you got there www

Maybe you should really write it down and flesh it out more! It has potential, I can see the Shadow Academy part being used to really hammer down the absence of parental love within the Shadow Clan, that children truly have to prove their potentials or powers to be acknowledged as part of the family-- Just like how nobility seems to be.

(Man, Shadows are using 'nobility' to keep appearances but now that I think about it, they do have a mindset or system that acts similarly to an abusive nobility house.)

I'm very drawn to the idea of a pair of Shadows giving birth to unique Shadows. I'm sure most will be treating it just as another duty of a Shadow, but imagining some Shadows being very attached to their children yet having to let them go to survive by themselves are terrible. The amount of emotional crisis they'll be going through is something I want to see.

Also, at certain points, they will need to distinguish which children are born from married unified pairs, pure Shadow hybrid, or the normal ones with Living Dolls.

It's a gold mine for experiments. Just like how the Great Grandfather wants it.

[okage-kirana]

Why the adults didn't think in put sugar in coffee to sweeten and don't taste bitter? Or it didn't work because of soot can't be sweetened?

That, I am not sure either! I'm mostly guessing that they didn't know, don't care enough, or just going with the flow on how things were done in the past. But it's pretty unlikely that they didn't know, since for example, Suzanna herself adds sugar and milk to John's coffee that one time so the taste is bearable.

Regarding the soot part, I thought it's mostly just because soot don't really mix with water nor sugar, so they can't be sweetened and perhaps stand out a lot in that aspect. But coffee is out of question, it can still be sweetened regardless.

I don't know how and when do they add the soot into the coffee, how much there is, or what side effects does it give other than brainwashing- But maybe that gives another reason as to why the coffee is bitter.

[okage-kirana]

If we goes with the theory that Great Grandfather is getting older and older and possibly perish soon. Is it possible he might be looking for a heir?

Ofc this is just theory but y'know how is it with Western nobles in fictions,they fought a lot for getting the heir position so I came up with that theory

Well, if he does, he has a wonderfully long list of candidates for an heir!

That aside, we never really know what is his endgame in the first place for creating such a massive amount of Shadows- All that we know so far is that he wants every single possibilities for Shadows to exist, hence the experiments, monitoring, and survival living situations.

The talk about inheritance of the manor (or anything within the manor, at all) never comes up anyway, so I somehow doubt that he will ever step down until he dies. And I am sure the third floor inhabitants also won't back down. Rather, they might be using all the power placed upon them to abuse the system even more, all "in the name of Shadow House's future".

Even if the Shadows fight to death over the throne, the only one who can judge their worth is the Great Grandfather (bias and unfairness still in play, regardless).