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The Tragedy Of Becoming Better. — Transcript

by The Masked Man · 8,194 words · 1,186 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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0:00This video is brought to you by War
0:01Thunder.
0:05We all want to be better, smarter,
0:07faster, more efficient, more useful. And
0:10in the pursuit of becoming better, if we
0:12are truly allin, we will sacrifice
0:14money, time, blood, anything that will
0:17get us closer to what we want. Even if
0:19having to lose pieces of what makes you
0:21you along the way becomes necessary.
0:24Anything is fair game on the altar for
0:26the god known as Dream. Well, we already
0:29talked about that guy. This time, I want
0:31to look at one of the most unique manga,
0:33and more specifically, one of the most
0:34unique main characters in anime and
0:37manga. A cautionary tale exploring a
0:40[ __ ] ton of stuff and something about
0:42Buddhism. A true gem of a reed and a
0:44true gem of a character, phosphophalite.
0:48The planet has six times been struck by
0:50meteors. Each time, a piece broke off,
0:53creating six moons and ravaging the
0:54Earth. When the land was reduced to a
0:56single coast, all living creatures
0:58escaped to the ocean. The infertile land
1:00was populated by creatures suited to its
1:02barren environment. Some of the life
1:04forms that flourished in time of one
1:06moon were left and sank into the ocean.
1:09They were consumed by the microscopic
1:10organisms inhabiting the seafloor, then
1:13reborn as inorganic substances. After a
1:15long time, their components formed
1:17ordered structures and they became
1:19crystals before once again washing up on
1:22shore. Those crystals are the lustrous.
1:273.5. Now, I'm sure some of you feel
1:30called out by this, but this is the
1:31number that belongs to Foss, the
1:33youngest of the gems and the most
1:34brittle. Now, I'm aware most of you
1:36watching this are familiar with the
1:38character. However, I feel like if I'm
1:40going to make certain claims and
1:41statements about said character, it
1:43really helps if we're both brushed up on
1:45the story and on the same page. For
1:47those of you that aren't familiar, the
1:484050minute timestamp should have already
1:50said it, but spoilers. Gem people known
1:53as lustrous taken care of by a man they
1:55call sensei. They're split up into two
1:57roles, fighter or watcher, and they all
1:59exist on this scale of hardness known as
2:02the mo scale in real life. And they
2:04fight in order to stop these space
2:05invaders known as Lunarians from turning
2:07them into decorations. As you can
2:08imagine, Foss isn't quite suited for
2:10those tasks uh in comparison to someone
2:13like Bort, who is a hardness of 10 on
2:15the MO scale or any of the other
2:17lustrous for that matter. So, Sensei
2:19having the predicament has to give Foss
2:21a task they can do despite their wide
2:23limitations. So, he gives them the task
2:25to compile a natural history, preserve
2:27the present, and prepare them against
2:29the unforeseen future. Because what Foss
2:32does have going for them is the nerve to
2:34talk back to Sensei. And that honesty is
2:36perfect for the job. But Foss isn't that
2:38stoked about it. Despite how innocent
2:40the character really comes off early on,
2:43in retrospect, it is quite the volatile
2:46combination to have a fragile being who
2:48feels like they don't have a purpose
2:50worth doing. Regardless, for now, they
2:52will do their best to record and
2:53classify everything in nature. But in
2:56order to figure out more, they need to
2:57ask a certain gem that is considered
2:59deadly because of the silver venom they
3:01excrete in order to collect light and
3:02stay up at night since all the other
3:04gems become weak during the nighttime.
3:06That is Cineabar. A gem that bothers
3:09people just by being around. I've been
3:11useless since the day I was born. But
3:13this has surpassed even me. I'm
3:16impressed. To be stuck with a job where
3:18no one expects anything. No one worries
3:20about you. No one will ever thank you. I
3:22don't get it. Why not just quit? Foss is
3:26then almost attacked by Lunarians while
3:28searching for Cineabar. And in that
3:30moment, Cineabar shows up, but almost
3:32falls into the ocean. But Foss reaches
3:34out, risking their own life to save
3:36them. The doctor had to scrape off
3:37stains from Foss and asks if Foss has
3:40lost any memories. Foss says they don't
3:42know and that they will never forget
3:44this night. Anyways, there is an absurd
3:47amount of irony that happens here early
3:49on, but I do want to say that Cinear
3:52will be a character that we will come
3:53back to often since I believe the core
3:55of Foss can be seen in contrast with
3:58Cineabar and the way that the two of
4:00them parallel each other. But more on
4:02that later. It's also important to keep
4:03in mind that in this story, when the
4:05Lustrous lose physical pieces of
4:06themselves, their memories go along with
4:08it. It's impressive how much these two
4:10chapters set up so much of the framework
4:12for the character and hints at the
4:14eventual irony, but also we get to see
4:16what Foss wants and even pieces of what
4:19they need. And it all just lies within
4:21these early chapters, especially the
4:23interaction where Cineabar says that
4:25they have been waiting for the Lunarians
4:26to take them, expressing jealousy that
4:29they showed up as soon as Foss did.
4:31You're lucky. Even the enemy loves you.
4:34Foss asks them for their help and in
4:36return they will help find Cineabar, a
4:38job that only they can do that will be
4:41more fun than Night Patrol. Keep this in
4:43mind. It's fair to say that early on
4:45what Foss wants is to be useful or more
4:48accurately to be seen as useful. In
4:50their mind, in order to bring this
4:51about, they need to take more risks and
4:53change. The desire to change in order to
4:56become more is something not just seen
4:58with Foss, but also with Diamond, who
5:00you would think would have nothing to
5:02envy, especially given a real life
5:03perception of Diamond. But their dynamic
5:06with Bort shows a deeply insecure person
5:08scared to not live up to the
5:10expectations of their hardness and who
5:12hates how overprotected they are by
5:14Bort. Quote, I'm constantly wishing I
5:17could change. Diamond having an identity
5:19they feel the need to live up to and
5:21Foss having an identity they desperately
5:23want to overcome. Both still driven by
5:26the desire to change in order to escape
5:28who they are perceived as or who they
5:30think they're perceived as. So Fos wants
5:33to be dependable. And after a strange
5:35encounter with the slug, they go to the
5:37ocean and learn the history of humans
5:40that they were split into three, flesh,
5:42bone, and spirit. Foss is then betrayed
5:44by the slug, who's actually a sea
5:46person, but then is saved by said sea
5:48person, and Foss, upon seeing Cineabar
5:50again, apologizes, saying, "Next time,
5:52I'll save you." Sensei then yells at
5:55Foss and tells them their job as
5:57historian is over. After this entire
5:59ordeal, Foss acquires new legs and is
6:01capable of running really fast, but a
6:03good chunk of their memories was lost in
6:05the process. With these newly acquired
6:07legs, Foss is hellbent on fighting the
6:09Lunarians, which comes from a place of
6:11love and the desire to help. Despite
6:13these new legs, Foss is still incapable
6:15of being much help. And when Cineabar
6:17appears, Foss doesn't approach feeling
6:19unworthy of doing so because they still
6:22haven't found them a job. The
6:23frustration of the change still not
6:25being enough is there. And Foss over
6:27time will change more and more and more.
6:31Innocent, but extremely immature. And
6:33there's an important question, and it is
6:36behind the why of Foss's motivation.
6:38They want to be useful and they want to
6:40help as much as possible. But why? And I
6:43believe that is because in their mind
6:45belonging is something that has to be
6:47earned through action. Hence why they
6:49are determined to help fight and also
6:51find a new job considered better for
6:53Cineabar. That's why when they see
6:54Cineabar, they feel like they can't
6:56confront them yet because they have no
6:58results. In fact, I believe Foss's want
7:01versus need can be seen in their
7:03interactions just with Cineabar. What
7:05Foss wants is to be dependable and
7:08validated through usefulness when what
7:10they need is to be okay with who they
7:12are and simply existing. Now, I might be
7:15giving away the answer a little early in
7:17the video, but I think the story just
7:19delves into this more, but yeah, I
7:22believe that them being there for
7:24Cineabar is being useful. What Cineabar
7:27truly needs from Foss isn't a new task,
7:30but some form of connection. Cineabar
7:32doesn't need to be fixed but needs to
7:34not be left alone anymore. However, Foss
7:38yet doesn't understand this. And since
7:40usefulness is the metric, then losing
7:42pieces of yourself for change becomes
7:44acceptable. When you were driven by the
7:46perception of your identity and said
7:48identity is given value in your mind
7:50because of success, then nothing is more
7:52crushing than failure. Enter Antarctica.
7:56An antarcticite.
8:00[ __ ] this name by the way. I don't know
8:01what trips me up with saying it so much,
8:03but it makes me feel like I'm learning
8:05English for the first time again. So,
8:07for my sake, I'm just going to say
8:09Antar. Okay, lovely. Antar is a special
8:12gem that hardens and handles the ice
8:14flows and any possible threats during
8:16the winter when all other gems
8:17hibernate, but this time Foss refuses to
8:20do so and wishes to pair up with them. I
8:22said Cineabar was one of the characters
8:24within the inner circle that affects
8:26Foss. Mant is the second character
8:28within that inner circle. While out
8:30dealing with the ice flows, Foss says
8:32they can hear them talking and reports
8:33it to Sensei. Sensei warns Foss that
8:36quote, "They have the tendency to
8:38reflect and amplify the anxiety of those
8:40who behold them. When you are facing the
8:42flows, you must maintain your peace of
8:44mind." At that moment, Antar has the
8:47amazing idea to mention that Foss has
8:49been more help than expected, but quote,
8:51"I can't help wishing that those arms
8:53would have the strength to match Foss's
8:55legs." which sticks with Foss. When they
8:58are on the ice flows and they start to
9:00speak, we'll bite them off for you. Your
9:02legs are better now. Someone knows how
9:04to fix them. You won't get any worse.
9:07You must have courage. You must change.
9:10It will work out. You're running out of
9:12time. If nothing changes, then when
9:14spring comes, Cineabar will. Foss almost
9:18gives in, but refuses, only to slip in.
9:21And when pulled out, their arms are
9:22gone. They go to the shore where all the
9:24lustrous are born to find replacements,
9:26but there is only gold. Gold that starts
9:29to consume Foss. But at that moment,
9:31Lunarians show up and Antarct puts up an
9:33honest fight, but is defeated. And Foss,
9:36in a fit of rage, breaks from their
9:37golden cage and with new powerful arms,
9:40but is unable to stop Antark from being
9:43taken. These are my new powerful hands.
9:46I'm not giving up. I'm pushing myself
9:48harder than ever. I'm being brave, too.
9:50So why? Why?
9:53Why are they getting farther away?
9:55Sensei saves Foss from falling and Foss
9:57says it was my fault. Despite how brief
10:00it is, Foss and their time with Antarct
10:03serves as one of the most pivotal
10:04moments in the story where the Foss we
10:07knew just 20 chapters ago is starting to
10:09change like the winter turning into
10:11spring. Haunted and traumatized by the
10:13death of Antark and scared of how
10:14quickly they are changing. shown when
10:16everyone starts waking up and the doctor
10:18tells Foss to check on Cineabar and Fos
10:21says that they will but first who's
10:23Cineabar even now with so much story
10:26left to look at Foss has become what
10:28they wanted at the start more useful and
10:31seen as such but at what cost even asked
10:34Foss if they are happy now since they
10:36are strong and Foss says there's nothing
10:39to be happy about
10:41power always comes with a measure of
10:43loneliness Foss has changed But even
10:46becoming all that they thought they
10:48wanted to be and being able to fight,
10:50they still do not feel fulfilled. Why?
10:53Foss has been met with the two things
10:55that plague all of sentient existence.
10:57The two things that no matter who you
10:59are will be out of your control. Change
11:02and loss. No matter how much money you
11:05earn, no matter how famous you are, no
11:08matter how physically strong you are,
11:10and no matter how much you mature in
11:11life, change and loss will always be
11:14there. Before not being dependable
11:16enough was holding Foss back. But after
11:18the incident with Antarct for them, not
11:21being dependable enough has taken a
11:22physical consequence. With the change,
11:25Foss has started to feel fear and
11:26uncertainty. And with loss, Foss feels
11:29shock, guilt, and grief. No matter what
11:32changes externally or how much stronger
11:34Foss becomes, external improvement
11:36cannot mend all internal wounds. I
11:38touched on it a little on the second
11:40channel, but it is truly one of the most
11:42relatable feelings that no matter what
11:44you do, what you quote unquote fix about
11:47yourself, there are some things you
11:49cannot control and outcomes that cannot
11:51be avoided. Now, Foss is determined to
11:53write their wrongs and pushes even
11:55harder. But what comes from clinging on
11:58to things and pushing against what you
12:00can't control instead of letting go? For
12:03the next portion of the story, we
12:05witness a Foss that becomes more and
12:07more obsessed with doing more. And when
12:09they become skeptical of Sensei, they
12:11want to find out the truth, even
12:13purposefully refusing to help in order
12:15to see what he would do when confronted
12:17with a certain Lunarian. Voss is
12:19starting to feel isolated with this
12:21feeling like they will always be alone
12:23in this new risky job. And then they
12:26remember Cineabar. Boss goes looking for
12:29them and tells Cineabar it's a job they
12:31can't do without their help. What about
12:33the fun? You said it would be fun. This
12:36doesn't sound like fun. Cinear then
12:38quotes the words from chapter 2 that
12:40Foss doesn't even remember anymore. I
12:43swear I will find you a job that only
12:45you can do. I'll do it and it'll be way
12:48more fun than the Night Patrol. From
12:50their expression, we can see how much
12:52those words meant to Cineabar. I don't
12:54think it was the concept of trying to
12:56find them a job, but if not that
12:58somebody cared. But Foss says they want
13:00help in exposing Sensei's relationship
13:02with the Lunarians. Foss expresses their
13:05point of view, but then Cinear asks an
13:07important question. And then if you find
13:10out Sensei has done something
13:11unforgivable, what will you do then? And
13:14if you haven't thought this through
13:16enough to answer that, then I can't help
13:18you. Foss compliments their carefulness
13:20and intelligence and says they will be
13:22back. But as Foss leaves, Cineabar says
13:25to themselves, "But if you just want to
13:27team up, then I." After another defeat,
13:31which results in the permanent change of
13:33Ghost, Foss is consumed by their
13:35failures. One of the gems point out that
13:37Foss is falling apart. Oh, I'm fine.
13:40Ghost, Antar, it doesn't matter. Point
13:43is, I don't want anyone getting captured
13:46because of me. You understand, right,
13:48Antar? I can't figure out the secret
13:50either. I can't undo what's been done
13:53after all I've tried. Nothing ever. The
13:56golden alloy within Foss explodes out
13:58and starts to crush pieces of Foss. Foss
14:02is put back and the others express
14:03concern that Foss needs to stop and take
14:05it easy. And Foss says so, but deep down
14:08they are still holding on to the plan,
14:10but they will go about it carefully.
14:12Boss is told about a conversation one of
14:14the gems had with Sensei about dealing
14:16with loss and if they were heartless
14:18from moving on from the loss of their
14:20partners. Quote, "It is actually very
14:23rare to find closure for your emotions
14:25and issues. When something does get a
14:27complete and final resolution, that's
14:29what we call a miracle. It isn't
14:31something you can bring about through
14:33your own power. It just comes one day
14:35out of the blue. I don't want you to get
14:37so twisted that you miss it. So let your
14:40emotions run their natural course,
14:42whether that be grieving or forgetting.
14:45Shortly after, the group is attacked by
14:47Lunarians, and Foss once again suffers a
14:49big defeat, and they think of the words
14:51Cineabar told them. Thought it through
14:54enough
14:55nothing. Everything I've ever thought
14:58has turned out to be wrong. I only
15:00understand what's right in front of me.
15:02I forget things easily. I'm not smart.
15:04After everything I do, everyone ends up
15:07on the moon. Then in the next battle
15:09comes one of the biggest turning points
15:11for Foss when they lose their head
15:14literally. So the other gems suggest
15:16attaching the head of Lapis, a gem with
15:18a similar hardness but whose rest of the
15:20body was taken up to the moon. 100 years
15:23will pass until Foss awakens.
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17:00miss it. During this slumber, I'd like
17:02to take some time to look at the creator
17:04behind this tale since it really adds a
17:06lot of context to the themes and
17:08symbolism in Land of the Lustrous. There
17:10are two things when it comes to Haruko
17:11Ichawa that really focuses the lens for
17:13me. The first is her attendance at a
17:16Buddhist high school, which explains a
17:18whole lot in terms of the roles of some
17:20of the characters and the struggles the
17:22characters face. Not that it's
17:24completely going along with it, but the
17:26story uses it as a backbone that it can
17:28also engage with at certain points to
17:30help some perspectives that go against
17:32the grain. Everything that has been
17:34covered so far when it comes to Foss in
17:36some way, form or shape can be drawn
17:38back to the tale of Buddha and his path
17:40towards enlightenment. Although Foss
17:42will take a very different path and some
17:44of the other concepts such as the three
17:46marks of existence. Three things that
17:48apply to everything that exists in Sam
17:50Sarah starting with anata or the nonself
17:54the idea that there is no permanent
17:56soul. Everything within things are an
17:58amalgamation of constantly changing
18:00parts. Being able to realize that will
18:02help you let go of the things you
18:04desire. Next is ana. The truth that
18:06nothing will be permanent or the concept
18:09of impermanence. Everything changes.
18:11Things come and go. That which we
18:13possess will one day break or no longer
18:16be in our possession. From what we have
18:18seen so far, the story has shown
18:20characters that embody these concepts or
18:22struggle with seeing them. I possessed
18:24the question earlier, but what comes
18:26from someone being unwilling to let go?
18:29If everything is a nika and they cling
18:31on to these things because they believe
18:33in a permanent self instead of
18:34comprehending anata, what is the result?
18:38Duka, the feeling of dissatisfaction and
18:42suffering. While not using the Buddhist
18:44terms in my video going over the tragedy
18:45of Darth Vader, I looked at how Anakin's
18:48inability to let go of his attachments
18:50brought about his corruption, being
18:52incapable of letting go of their wants
18:54in order to see their needs, growing
18:56stronger and more powerful. And with
18:58that power, they commit acts that cross
19:00the line. And so for them, there is no
19:03going back. I think you've noticed it by
19:05now, but it's important to point out
19:07that it is a cycle of suffering that
19:09will repeat. And each time it does, it
19:11only becomes bigger and bigger, trapping
19:14more people within its cyclone. But I'm
19:16getting ahead of myself. The second
19:18thing that really helps my view of the
19:20story after this reread was this
19:21interview that Ichawa participated in
19:232016. Something that not only really
19:26grounded Ichiaawa in my mind, but also
19:28grounded the story and what to take away
19:30from it. In Husseek Nokuni, the
19:32attacking enemy is defeated then and
19:34there. They don't fight for their own
19:36gain or to make the world a better
19:38place. There are therefore characters
19:40that arrive at the question, why are we
19:42fighting? Yes. And so within this cast,
19:46there's Foss, a character with a clear
19:48sense of purpose. Quote, "I want to be
19:50of help to everyone." Believing they
19:53must have some sort of role. Foss using
19:55trial and error continues to search. I
19:57felt there was something in common
19:59between Foss and the human soul. How are
20:01Yor and Foss's souls connected? I'd
20:04always thought of what made someone
20:05rightfully human was nothing but their
20:07ability to work. Without working,
20:09without feeling you're being of some use
20:11to society, it's hard to find meaning in
20:13life unless you're really strong. People
20:16live whilst having to constantly prove
20:18they are used to society by working.
20:21Yes, most people I know are always
20:23complaining about their job, but they
20:25still do it properly anyway. Not just
20:27for the sake of money, but I think
20:28there's also a feeling of wanting to be
20:30recognized, a desire to be approved. I'm
20:33writing this manga as I have a strong
20:35feeling to find whether this is true or
20:37not. So, you think this might not be the
20:38case? Yes. I also feel that maybe it's
20:42all right just to live. The gaining of
20:44prestige and fortune through work is not
20:46necessary if you just want to live, but
20:48it is if you want to live well. What
20:51makes someone rightfully human? I want
20:53to write about this through the theme of
20:55work. I just want to know. The
20:58protagonist Foss also has another
21:00motivation. They wish to save Cineabar
21:02who lives isolated and away from
21:03everyone else. This wish was something I
21:05felt connected thematically well with
21:07your previous works. The act of saving
21:09someone is incredibly difficult.
21:11Expressing support, providing them
21:13something to help may only cheer them up
21:15temporarily, but saving someone by
21:17completely turning their life around is
21:19probably something no one can do. Yes.
21:23Then just what is salvation? Can someone
21:25in the truest sense save another? But
21:28people for some reason can't let go of
21:29this mysterious feeling of wanting to be
21:31of help to others. I've always found
21:33this to be very mysterious. It's
21:35mysterious and for this reason I want to
21:37know. So, you'll only be able to find
21:39this by continuing to write Uski Nokuni.
21:42That's right. Earlier on in the
21:44interview, the idea of writing out
21:46characters that are essentially rocks is
21:47brought up, and Ichawa expressed a
21:49curiosity of how they would live. The
21:51interviewer remarks how it leads back to
21:53humans. Do you write manga in the hope
21:55of gaining a greater understanding of
21:57this world and humans? That is mostly
21:59why I write manga. What is that that
22:02makes us human? Even if not completely,
22:05I want to get a hold on this secret.
22:07Knowing this really helped frame the
22:09story as something that isn't trying its
22:11hardest to provide the answers to some
22:12of the most complicated things in our
22:14existence. Not saying that it doesn't or
22:16that there aren't concrete things that
22:17can be taken away from Land of Illustr.
22:20But because this is a work of art made
22:22by someone trying to present many
22:24questions while trying to figure it out
22:25for themselves lends to the vast amount
22:27of meaning or interpretation we can all
22:29take away from it. exploring the common
22:32things that plague us by the extreme of
22:34immortal beings and a rock that is ever
22:36changing but doesn't know how to go
22:38about change. The story is inherently
22:40spiritual in a good way and Foss as a
22:42character is very human but again I'm
22:46getting ahead of myself. For now we
22:48return to awaking Foss after 100 years.
22:53Foss awakens with their new head and is
22:55immediately swarmed by all of the other
22:57gems. Curious and worried about this
22:58Foss. After a long and tiring day, they
23:01go to sleep and in their sleep, a dream
23:03occurs. And I want to read this whole
23:05scene out because I was stuck up on it
23:07for a very long time. And then it
23:09finally clicked. You're always doing
23:11that, aren't you? Leaving everything
23:12scattered around. Your beautiful and
23:15precious body, the color of the western
23:17shallows, the information you work so
23:19hard to acquire, everything. Go on, get
23:23up. Time to get organized.
23:27Good. You can follow instructions. I'll
23:30give you just a bit of help. I am Lapis
23:32Lazuli. I realized it was possible that
23:35I could end up a part of someone else.
23:37So, I left the message with my
23:38inclusions. I have first rate inclusions
23:40that do good work, so what they tell you
23:42should be very precise. I too had my
23:45doubts about this ongoing war. I had
23:47been carefully investigating the matter,
23:49but I have this bad habit of getting
23:51lost in my final thoughts until I
23:53followed a train of logic to its
23:54conclusion. It was on my mind while I
23:56was fighting, and I got myself shot. I'm
23:59not in a place to criticize you, am I?
24:02Right. It's around here.
24:06When we lose pieces of our body, we lose
24:08the memories stored inside them. But
24:10unless those pieces are significantly
24:12large, we won't lose our personal
24:13continuity. seem to have a constitution
24:16that's especially good at maintaining
24:17your sense of self inclusions that excel
24:20at symbiosis.
24:21Fascinating. Anyways, the detail of our
24:24memories are lost, but they are still a
24:26part of our accumulated experience.
24:28There is still traces that something
24:30happened in the seams. There should be a
24:33little here. Lapis recalls the tale
24:36about humans and tells Foss that they
24:38will help them in figuring out the
24:40truth. Here, I'll share my genius with
24:43you. It's morning. When you wake up, it
24:46will be a new day. Voss wakes up and
24:48remarks how it was an exhausting dream,
24:50but now something feels different.
24:52Quote, "It's like I don't know. There
24:54are all these tiny details and it's
24:57almost disgusting how clearly I can see
25:00them." This was the part that I got
25:02stuck up on, mainly Foss's reaction to
25:04all of this. But what's happening with
25:06Lapis goes beyond a simple transfer of
25:08intelligence or memories. It's tied back
25:10to Buddhist symbolism, specifically the
25:12idea of the seven treasures. In
25:14Buddhism, the seven treasures are
25:16symbolic supports on the path towards
25:17enlightenment. They're often represented
25:19as precious materials, but they aren't
25:21about the material wealth. Each one
25:23represents a quality meant to stabilize
25:25and guide someone toward awakening. More
25:26importantly, they're meant to function
25:28together to support one another. Gold
25:31represents stability and value,
25:32something grounding that gives form and
25:34support. Silver is associated with
25:36purity and clarity of intention. Crystal
25:40represents transparency and truth, the
25:42ability to see things as they are
25:43without distortion. Pearl is tied to
25:46compassion and care for others. Coral
25:48represents vitality and life force, the
25:50ability to continue despite hardship.
25:53Agot is cutting it close, but it's
25:55associated with balance and emotional
25:57steadiness. And lapis lazuli represents
25:59wisdom, clear perception, and insight
26:01into suffering. None of these qualities
26:04are meant to exist in isolation. They're
26:06meant to be cultivated slowly alongside
26:08one another as a person becomes capable
26:10of holding them. Foss has already
26:12received some of these treasures. The
26:14legs are again made from a sea shell
26:15with AGOT, giving them balance and
26:17movement. Their arms are replaced with a
26:19gold alloy meant to provide strength and
26:21stability. And finally, Foss receives
26:23the lapis head, bringing wisdom and
26:26insight. Well, that's what they have so
26:27far. On paper, it looks like Foss has
26:30several treasures, but the way they've
26:32been integrated is incomplete. Gold arms
26:35don't stabilize so much as they
26:36overwhelm, consume, bind Foss instead of
26:39supporting them as the wisdom from
26:40Lapis, though immense, arrives without
26:43the grounding of compassion or the
26:45balance of the other treasures. It
26:47sharpens their perception, but it
26:49isolates them. Hence the quote Fos says
26:51at the end of the chapter. They see the
26:53world more clearly, but that clarity
26:55comes with a coldness, a sense of
26:56detachment that only amplifies their
26:58suffering. The treasures are present,
27:00but they aren't complete. They aren't
27:02balanced. And more importantly, they are
27:04given to someone not yet ready to
27:06receive them. Until Foss is ready to
27:09hold them fully, they bring insight and
27:11power, yes, but also fracture and
27:13strain, leaving them caught between what
27:15they know and what they can endure. Foss
27:17then remembers their trip to the ocean
27:19and Sensei's reaction when they told him
27:21about humans. To make matters worse,
27:23Lunarian shows up and Sensei can't kill
27:25it. And Foss demands to know why. So, if
27:28they can't get their answers here, then
27:30maybe they can find some on the moon. On
27:33the moon, Foss learns a lot. Like, the
27:35moon is coated with the dust of the
27:37remnants of the Lustrous. And they do
27:39this along with their invasions to
27:40provoke Sensei, who's actually a machine
27:42made for prayer called Congo. The
27:45Lunarian prince, Akemia, is hoping that
27:48Congo will pray and complete its
27:49function to help decompose the Lunarians
27:51into nothing. The prince tells Foss,
27:54"You are the one who will save us." I
27:56think it's fair to say that Foss is
27:58about to participate in a lot of
27:59self-sacrifice. But there is an
28:01important question to be asked, and that
28:03is if self-sacrifice is worth it, even
28:05if it destroys the self in the end. Foss
28:08devises a plan that if nothing so far
28:10has worked, maybe Congo needs to feel
28:12the betrayal of the gems. Before being
28:15sent back, Foss is given a new eye made
28:17of Pearl. Back home, Foss is received
28:20with open arms and looked up to by the
28:22gems. Finally, Foss has what they
28:24thought they wanted at some point. But
28:26things have changed, and so is Foss.
28:29Something two of the gems express
28:31concern over that perhaps Foss is now
28:33dangerous, as they seem to be luring
28:35some of the gems with their tales of the
28:37moon. But there is one more gem Foss
28:39needs to convince to come with them to
28:40the moon. Cineabar telling them
28:44everything they know. But Cineabar
28:46refuses to go. Foss has no time. So they
28:49assemble the others. Kernorm, Diamond,
28:52Amethyst 84, Yellow Diamond, [ __ ] it,
28:55Benois, Alexandrite, Goshanite, and
28:58since Rutile didn't go, Foss decided to
29:01take the dormant.
29:03I haven't seen the anime. Okay. So, like
29:05I don't I don't know. I'm trying. Let me
29:09let me I got it. Decided to take the
29:11dormant pad paraja. That wasn't so bad.
29:14Back on the moon, Fos goes to negotiate
29:16with the prince about bringing the gems
29:18back from the dust since they were able
29:20to get Pad fixed. Back on Earth, Congo
29:22tells the gems that stayed the truth of
29:24who he is and that if they want to go to
29:26the moon that they can, but they decide
29:29to stay with him. Fear leads to anger.
29:33Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to
29:35suffering. While I'm not trying to draw
29:38any parallels too much between Foss and
29:40Anakin, I do believe that that is a
29:42formula to writing a rather relatable or
29:45a villain that is well thought out with
29:48a lot of humanity to them. This part of
29:50the story is where the suffering really
29:52kicks in. As the more Foss tries to fix
29:54things and play the role of savior, the
29:57more things go wrong because the
29:59Lunarians are able to bring back the
30:01gems, but not any below the hardness of
30:03four, which includes Antar. And then
30:05another losses suffered on top of that
30:07with the first attempt of invading and
30:10getting sensei to prey. This isn't what
30:12you really wanted to do. We'll find a
30:14way to move forward where no one gets
30:16left behind. We'll think of one
30:18together, but there's no going back.
30:21Anyone softer than five, me included.
30:25The gem then responds, "We need you for
30:28our future." We see gold tears oozing
30:30out of Foss's eyes. Then the Lunarians
30:33show up and Foss has their head smashed
30:35in by Kernorm, who has been getting
30:37close to the prince. Quick timeout.
30:40Y'all don't know Scam as well as I do.
30:43But just take my word for it. He would a
30:45million% be this character. But current
30:49Gorm has been getting close to the
30:50prince. Foss is taken home and after the
30:52battle, Bort has their hair cut short
30:54and Cineabar is now brought in to be
30:57with the others on Earth. The weight of
30:59this cycle of running into what feels to
31:01be the same wall that their actions
31:03haven't changed anything. The
31:05instability is starting to compound and
31:08cracks are starting to form. Quote,
31:10Cineabar attacked me without holding
31:12back. I talked to Yug then Kernorm hit
31:15me. The Lunarian see me as Lustrous and
31:18the Lustrous see me as Lunarian. What am
31:22I? The two helping foss say that they
31:25are phospholite, the hope of the
31:27Lunarians.
31:28Quote, when I didn't even get a look at
31:31Congo, the gold underneath erupting as
31:33then they are pieced back together. On
31:35top of all of that, the Lunarians were
31:37able to come up with a method of
31:38bringing the gems turned into dust back.
31:41There, you see, I don't need anybody.
31:44I'm doing the right thing all on my own.
31:48But to do so, they would have to kill
31:50all the admirabilis, the slug people,
31:53since they have eaten the sand on the
31:54moon. A decision that Foss is incapable
31:57of making. So Foss decides that they
32:00will go to the Earth alone, unarmed, and
32:03just asks Sensei to pray. I can't think
32:06of anything else. In the scenes with
32:08Keemia and Kernorm, who are now dating
32:11and soon to be married, it has become
32:13very apparent that he has had plans for
32:15all of this. After the wedding ceremony,
32:17Foss returns to Earth and is immediately
32:19broken and captured. And Foss asks for
32:22Congo to pray, but he can't. There is a
32:24malfunction in his system. So, Foss is
32:27broken up even more and then scattered
32:29while those on the moon and Earth live
32:31on. After 220 years, Sensei gathered up
32:35the pieces and put Foss together. And
32:39Foss angrily demands that he praise.
32:42Full of rage, Foss says, "Pray, damn
32:45machine. Pray for me if it hadn't been
32:48for you." The prince then reveals to his
32:51wife that Congo can't control its power.
32:54And therefore, when the prayer is said,
32:56it's not just the Lunarians, but all
32:58things that are of human descent that
32:59will turn into nothing. But before the
33:02prayer can be complete, Foss is
33:04interrupted and leaves. Rutile almost
33:07gets a hold of them to end it once and
33:09for all, but the Lunarians show up with
33:11Pad returning to Rutile to stop them
33:14from killing Foss. Now back on the moon,
33:17the prince talks to Foss and asks if
33:19they still want to be thrown away after
33:20being collected.
33:22Congo rescued me. Congo still loves me.
33:27If those gems hadn't stopped us, Congo
33:29would have prayed. I know it. Congo will
33:32pray for me. Next time if any gems get
33:37in my way, I will grind them into
33:40powder. I'll go right away. Those damn
33:43lustrous. If I could just be rid of
33:46them. We have truly reached the mental
33:49breaking point for Foss and their pain.
33:52feeling all alone in comparison to
33:55Cineabar who seems to be doing a lot
33:57better. While one is in this constant
33:59cycle of misery trying to fulfill their
34:02purpose, Cineabar is happy existing
34:05amongst the others. We get a look into
34:08the mind of Foss. The buildup of the
34:10things that have been there since the
34:11start but have only gotten worse and
34:13worse as they imagine cruel things said
34:15to them by the other gems. You're weak.
34:19You were born that way. You were wrong
34:21from the start. There is nothing you can
34:23do. You can't ever change. You ruined
34:26everything. 3.5.
34:29Poor thing. No one loves you. If only
34:32you'd never existed. Awake, Foss demands
34:36an army and blackmails the other gems to
34:38go with them back to Earth to crush all
34:41of the other gems. I must destroy
34:43everything on Earth now.
34:46Ironic for the once brittle gem tasked
34:50with preserving the present and
34:51protecting the gems against an
34:53unforeseen future. Foss returns with an
34:57army and goes about the annihilation of
34:59the gems they once fought so hard to
35:01protect. Quote, "The most human of all
35:04emotions is the thirst for revenge." End
35:07quote. We also learn the master plan of
35:10the prince that there are two conditions
35:11that would activate Congo's prayer. One
35:13is that Congo acknowledges the user is a
35:16human and the other is an appeal to a
35:18higher power. So for the first 300 years
35:20following Fossil's birth, they found
35:22potential that the gem had a need for
35:24validation that was out of proportion
35:26for its fragile body. Sound familiar?
35:30Incapable of fulfilling an individual
35:32role, the gem led an empty existence.
35:35And with the help of everything else
35:36that has happened so far, quote, "The
35:39little thing has grown into a fine human
35:41being." The prince then reveals that
35:43Congo will never pray again. So now the
35:46plan is to make Foss more than human. We
35:48also learn the real name of Akimeia,
35:51Yama, better known as the lord of the
35:53dead in Buddhism. And in this story
35:55seems to serve a sort of similar purpose
35:57of using suffering, loss, and change to
35:59push Foss toward awakening via his long
36:02spanning plan. Diamond crushes Bort and
36:05the rest are handled. With all of the
36:07other gems destroyed, there is one more
36:11to get to Sensei.
36:13Cineabar.
36:14It would come down to these two. In the
36:17most twisted way possible, Foss finally
36:19did find a job for Cineabar. They are
36:21now protecting the school and Sensei
36:24from Foss. Even in their final moments,
36:27Cineabar thanks them. Because of you, I
36:31had a chance to be friends with the
36:32others. I had fun.
36:35Thank you for keeping your promise. And
36:38Foss doesn't even seem to remember their
36:41promise and goes on to find Congo and
36:44put everything back the way it was.
36:47Slowly looking more and more human as
36:49they approach their target. But since
36:51Sensei cannot pray, Foss tells them to
36:53fall apart, which is exactly what he has
36:55been waiting for, for a human to tell
36:57him that his job was finished. Now on
37:01the moon with everyone else, the
37:03Lunarians have been turning the Lustrous
37:04into Lunarians. Meanwhile, Foss is stuck
37:07on Earth alone with Congo's eye and will
37:10remain there until they are transformed
37:13for 10,000 years.
37:19Y'all remember the hiatus? In regards to
37:21Foss and their anger towards Congo, I
37:24think there's a lot going on. Foss is
37:26mad because Congo, the one they trusted
37:28the most, kept them in the dark. in
37:30their mind, let them suffer and
37:32controlled everything around them. Every
37:34piece they lost, every death they
37:36witnessed, every time that they were
37:38broken down, Congo could have prevented
37:40it all. Maybe it's not just hate. It's
37:43betrayal, frustration, and grief all
37:46rolled into one. In a way, the inaction
37:49of Congo to Foss seemed to say a million
37:52words. Foss then sees Congo as the root
37:56of all pain, or at least the symbol for
37:58it, one who shaped their life through
38:00secrets. And the trauma piled up over
38:03hundreds of years made that anger
38:06explode. But it's complicated.
38:08Underneath it all, I believe there's
38:10still love twisted with all of that
38:12suffering. That's why Foss wanted
38:15answers, and that's why they couldn't
38:17forgive, leading to this moment.
38:19Everything leading to this where Foss
38:22now has to go through an internal cycle
38:24over and over to reach the point
38:26necessary to fulfill their next role.
38:29Fosafilite, the hero of our story, has
38:32become a god. After 10,000 years and a
38:35strange dream with a doctor, Yumu, the
38:38creator of Congo, says that she dreamed
38:40of becoming a mineral, a weak but
38:42important one, that once Congo crosses
38:44the bridge to burn it. The memories have
38:47blended and Foss has truly become
38:49something far more. Reincarnation
38:52perhaps? I don't think so since the
38:54chapter seems to hint at pieces of
38:55humanity itself being passed on to Foss.
38:58Purpose that is a fragile being is what
39:01was needed to bring about change. So now
39:04Foss stands as a god and everyone else
39:07waits to see what will happen. I am
39:10capable of turning you all into my
39:11eternal slaves, or I could plunge you
39:14deep into a solar flare and grant you
39:16the pain of endlessly regenerating
39:18inside it. However, I awoke today on
39:21this field, and what came to mind was a
39:24day long past. On that day, I was alone
39:28on the field until I received news of
39:30this task. And on this day, once again,
39:34I am here alone.
39:37Thus we see I was always alone from the
39:40very beginning. I will pray sending you
39:43to the void. In these 10,000 and some
39:46odd years I had nothing to attain
39:49nothingness. That is your wish and mine.
39:52We have finally come to understand each
39:54other. Goodbye.
40:07Now completely alone, everything sinks
40:09in and Foss lays down for an indefinite
40:12amount of time
40:20until a voice calls out. A small rock
40:23saying that they have been trying to
40:24speak but no one would answer. FA says
40:28that they can give them the ability to
40:29move. And The Rock says, "No, that's
40:32okay. But it's awfully convenient.
40:35You'll be able to go wherever you want.
40:37I might not be the same as you, but it's
40:39no problem. Then would you like to be
40:41able to see as I do? I can accurately
40:44count all of the moons of Saturn." No,
40:48no, that's okay. I can feel you there,
40:51and I like seeing the way I do now. You
40:53are friendly, and you're nice enough to
40:55talk to me. I have nothing to complain
40:57about. I'm satisfied. I may not be what
41:00you think of as perfect, but I'm
41:02confident that I'm good as I am.
41:06I
41:08finally figured it out.
41:11I wanted everyone to love me. I sought
41:14so much. Now I know everything and I
41:16have everything. But I never tried to
41:18know what is it I truly wanted.
41:22Of course, I would never be satisfied. I
41:24could have turned back at any time, but
41:27now I've lost everything.
41:29Beautiful irony. Finally, when they
41:31achieve godhood, the ultimate power
41:33capable of doing anything, and yet there
41:36was no need, no amount of power and
41:39change that was ever going to be the
41:42answer. And here is this god-like being
41:44learning what it means to be content and
41:47let go of the need for more from a rock.
41:51Foss and this rock spend a lot of more
41:53time together, traveling the world,
41:55living in paradise, singing songs. And
41:57then Foss realizes that traces of
41:59humanity still remain within them.
42:01Things that never need to be brought on
42:03this new species. Then Congo sibling
42:06shows up, the one that inhabited the ice
42:08flows and took Foss's arms, but was
42:10careful to not take the purest part as
42:12commanded to them by the Lunarians. And
42:15Foss tells the new species the history
42:17of all things in the chapter of human
42:20history which that alone took a thousand
42:21years. Foss asked them what do they
42:24think about what happiness is?
42:27They answer I think of everyone being
42:29happy. All my friends here, everyone who
42:32used to be, everyone who is going to be,
42:35the nice ones, the ones who couldn't be
42:37nice, the good humans, the evil humans.
42:40It would be nice if everyone were happy.
42:43even the evil humans. Life must have
42:45been hard for the good humans and I felt
42:47sorry for the evil ones. That's what I
42:50thought when I heard the story. Congo
42:52sibling giving the nickname Ploop says,
42:54"There you see that perspective. These
42:58kids definitely aren't affected by any
42:59human influence." Foss then looks at
43:02them. You are the most intelligent life
43:04forms on this planet. We even get more
43:06introspection from Foss. I am in
43:09paradise. I converse with these friends
43:12using the power Congo left me. The
43:14Lunarians refining offers protection
43:16from the fears that could contaminate
43:18them. And so I exist here in a perpetual
43:21state of rest. Whatever the process may
43:23have been, that is the truth. What time
43:26is it? We have just made it past 10,000
43:29years. Everything really does change.
43:33Even the past and the significance of it
43:34all. When I relate the final chapter, I
43:37feel I may tell it in a somewhat kinder
43:39way. Nothing wrong with that. When you
43:42really get down to it, the now is all
43:44that matters.
43:46On the day we said goodbye, when I
43:49prayed for them all, I wish I wish I had
43:53thanked them as well. The sun swallows
43:56Mercury. And on the day it comes to
43:58swallow the earth, Foss decides to stay
44:00behind and burn the bridge. But Ploop
44:03takes the piece of Foss that remained
44:05within the god-like being to their new
44:07home while the rest is consumed by the
44:09sun. It is finished. I was so useless I
44:13couldn't do anything. Still, I wonder if
44:16Sensei will tell me I did a good job. I
44:19feel like I want to see all the others.
44:22I feel lighter.
44:23So much lighter.
44:32Meanwhile, the piece of Foss that
44:34survived is now on that new planet,
44:37finally at peace, simply being Foss. No
44:40longer do they have to be better. No
44:42longer do they have to fulfill or be
44:45anything more but Foss.
44:48Pieces of you went to go see a new
44:50universe. I bet they turned into a big
44:52beautiful comet. Really? I hope they
44:56helped someone feel brighter.
44:58Let's play
45:04108 chapters Buddhism. There are 108
45:08temptations one must overcome to reach
45:10enlightenment. And this is where we see
45:12the conclusion of this tale. A little
45:15bittersweet, but chapter 108 titled Land
45:19of the Lustrous.
45:27Huge thanks again to War Thunder for
45:29sponsoring the video. Make sure to play
45:31it for free on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, or
45:33mobile using my links in the pin comment
45:35or video description. New and returning
45:37players on PC and consoles who haven't
45:39played in 6 months will get that limited
45:41time bonus pack with premium vehicles,
45:4310,000 Silver Lions, the Eagle of Valor
45:45decorator, and 7 days of premium
45:47account. So, grab it while it's
45:49available.

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This page contains the full transcript of The Tragedy Of Becoming Better. by The Masked Man, generated from the public captions YouTube serves with the video. The transcript has 8,194 words across 1,186 segments, with the original timestamps preserved so you can click any line to jump to that moment in the embedded player.

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