Literary Analysis — VIRGIN SOUL #16: City Of The Gods, Part 2


Summary: El/Mugaro is frustrated because no one —not even his mother— understands that he wants to bring peace to the world. 


Escorted by Ridwan, Nina returns with Bacchus, Hamsa, and Mugaro and tries to encourage the latter, but Hamsa tells her it's useless. 


Nina is struck by how many bottles of wine Bacchus has emptied, making the room resemble his chariot. 


Hamsa asks Nina about Hippogriff, and she replies that it's okay and that she got with Jeanne to Vanaheimr thanks to it. 


Mugaro is interested in that part of the story and continues to listen to Nina, who tries to tell more details about how they got through the storm, but fails to make herself understood. But regardless, Bacchus ends up remembering the day he and Hamsa left the land of the gods. 


Hamsa tells Nina that, actually, they were exiled. However, Bacchus insists that he left the place on his own because being worshipped is not his thing. 


Nina is fascinated by the story, but Hamsa clarifies that as cool as he makes it sound, Bacchus left everything for a human he fell in love with, something Nina finds cute because she never imagined that someone like Bacchus could experience love. 


After laughing for a while, they fall asleep. Then, Mugaro takes the opportunity to escape from the room disguised as Nina, with whom he has swapped clothes without her noticing while she was sleeping soundly. 


Nina dreams of Chris and the day of the festival. In the dream, Chris seduces her, and Nina tries to kiss him. Feeling that she doesn't reach his lips because he is taller than she thought, she opens her eyes only to realize that, instead of Chris, there's Charioce in front of her, the king who orders to kill everyone. 


Nina wakes up with no memory of what she dreamed but assumes it was a nightmare because of her abrupt awakening. When she realizes that she's wearing Mugaro's clothes and that he's not in the room, she alerts Bacchus and Hamsa, who panic because this time they're sure to be exiled for allowing Mugaro to escape.


Meanwhile, in Anatae, Dias overhears Orleans Knights commenting that Kaisar's sentence will be carried out shortly, and they wonder what will become of them now. As soon as Dias brings it to his attention, Alessand tells him that there's nothing to be gained by getting angry, as Kaisar brought the situation on himself by being idealistic and opposed to the king.


Kaisar is forcibly taken to the coliseum, where his charges are read. To his surprise, he's sentenced to fight to the death against the Rag Demon as a punishment. 


Dias tries to do something for him, but Alessand stops him because otherwise, he'll end up in the same position as his former captain.


In Vanaheimr, Bacchus, Hamsa, and Nina manage to leave the room, making the guardian angels believe that Mugaro wants to go for a walk. After permitting to leave under Ridwan's watch, they escape, but she soon realizes that it's Nina who has gone out and that El has escaped. Ridwan quickly reports the situation to Gabriel. 


As they get away from the guards searching for them, they speculate that Mugaro went to find Hipogriff to go to the surface on his own. 


Mugaro arrives at the chariot area but is unable to tell which of them all is Bacchus' chariot, as all the transports look exactly like his.


Nina, Bacchus, and Hamsa try to coordinate to catch Mugaro from the location they're in as soon as they spot him in the parking sector. 


Nina gives instructions, but as Bacchus and Hamsa don't hear her and are only guided by her gestures, they fail to catch Mugaro, who flies away when he sees them. 


Nina runs after him, but can't catch him, so Bacchus tells her to use one of the air displacers available to bystanders. 


In the coliseum, Azazel and Kaisar fight, but neither proceeds to kill the other. When Azazel seems intent on delivering a lethal blow, Favaro appears from the crowd of spectators and throws Rocky. Kaisar catches it and uses it to defend himself and take advantage. 

Kaisar soon pretends to pierce Azazel's body with his sword. 


The crowd boos in disappointment when they see that both are still alive and, to distract everyone and escape with his life, Favaro throws smoke bombs and takes out the place with his friends. 


Dias celebrates the turn of events, but Alessand looks frustrated. 


Charioce contemplates what happened with satisfaction as if he had been waiting for things to turn out that way.


Nina continues to chase after Mugaro, but in one of her attempts to catch him with her hands, she falls off the conveyor platform into the void. 


Seeing that her friend's life is in danger, Mugaro flies to her and holds her in the air, falling together towards the stormy barrier.


Bacchus and Hamsa, worried about what happened and seeing themselves pursued by Sofiel, call Hippogriff and jump into the void as well, as they want to save Nina and Mugaro, whom they manage to put inside the chariot successfully. 


Jeanne regrets her son's decision and worries about his well-being.


Once in the human skies, Mugaro is happy to see that they're heading to the surface and insists that he'll bring peace to the world.


Kaisar, Azazel, and Favaro arrive at Rita's clinic. Kaisar returns Rocky, and asks Azazel to stay with them to help them investigate what Charioce intends to do with the weapon of destruction he possesses since, given its enormous power, it can kill even the gods. 


Azazel is reluctant to help but eventually agrees when Rita throws a file at him to remove the shackle around his neck. 


Favaro intends to go elsewhere to continue his travels, but Kaisar stops him and asks him to help them as well. Unable to do anything and better assess the situation, Favaro stays with them.


Style: The idea is delivered when Mugaro plans to escape after hearing Nina mention Hipogriff. It's reiterated when Favaro gives Kaisar and Azazel the chance to escape the coliseum. And it's further structured with Bacchus and Hamsa joining the unexpected escape.


Point of view: Nina's, Mugaro's, and Kaisar's predominate as they all are fugitives.


Tone: Unexpected


Fixed literary devices:

  • Transversal themes:
    • Love
    • Identity and Secrecy
  • Transversal Symbols (motifs):
    • Sword
    • Square file

Mutable literary devices:

  • Episode Themes:
    • Capture and Fugue
    • Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction
    • Friendship

Conflicts: Capture vs. Fugue


Thematic elements: 

  • Capture vs. Fugue: 
    • Mugaro manages to escape from his room by disguised as Nina and managing to drag her, Bacchus and Hamsa unwittingly, who, instead of capturing him, accidentally end up helping him in his fugue.
    • Bacchus and Hamsa, captured by Gabriel for disobeying Sofiel's orders, find themselves escaping while trying to capture Mugaro.
    • Thanks to Favaro, Kaisar and Azazel manage to escape prison and their fate of dying hand-in-hand fighting.
  • Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction:
    • Gabriel, Jeanne, and Sofiel are disturbed by the escape of Mugaro, Bacchus, Hamsa, and Nina.
    • Charioce is satisfied to see Kaisar and Azazel escape from the coliseum and escape their death sentence thanks to Favaro.
  • Friendship:
    • Hamsa followed Bacchus when he escaped from the land of the gods, supporting him in his decision.
    • Kaisar and Azazel refuse to kill each other because they are friends.
    • Favaro saves his friend Kaisar and his old acquaintance Azazel by helping them escape from Anatae's coliseum.
    • Rita indirectly helps Kaisar by sending Rocky for his defense.
    • Mugaro saves Nina from falling to the surface and dying because she's his friend.
    • Azazel momentarily joins Kaisar's group as a way to thank them for saving his life.
  • Peace and War:
    • When Bacchus tells El that if he tries to start a fight with the humans on the surface, he'll take him back to heaven. El clarifies that he doesn't want to fight anyone and that just wants to bring peace to the world. Mugaro establishes himself as a character opposite to Gabriel.
  • Love:
    • Hamsa reveals to Nina that Bacchus left the land of the gods and all the privileges because he fell in love with a human, which Nina finds sweet.
    • Nina dreams of Chris and tries to kiss him, but when he turns into Charioce she awakens abruptly. Her heart wonders which of the two is the real one. Or if they both are.
    • Rita sends Rocky through Favaro to Kaisar so he can defend himself from Azazel not only because she wanted to help him, but because she loves and cares about him. 
  • Identity and Secrecy:
    • Mugaro swaps his clothes with Nina's while she sleeps to disguise himself as her so he can escape from the room where he's been isolated.
    • Nina dreams of Chris/Charioce, facets of the man she loves.

Symbols: 

  • Nina's dream: It symbolizes the love and lust Nina feels for Chris and, at the same time, the dissonance caused by knowing that he's Charioce.

    This dream is triggered by the change of clothes Mugaro performs on her while she sleeps, without her realizing it.

    As she's being undressed and dressed, she's also being touched, and her unconscious mind translates it all as a steamy dream about the man who stole her heart.

    Forgetting what her dream was about but classifying it as a nightmare, symbolizes the two facets of her love interest —Chris/Charioce—, the same ones that have tormented her ever since she learned he's the king.
  • Pillow: It symbolizes a love dilemma.
    Nina hugs a pillow while dreaming of Chris/Charioce. It's the same pillow she hugs in episode 21, the episode in which she again has a love dilemma.
  • Doves: They symbolize peace and hope. They fly over the sea of Vanaheimr and the land of the gods at all times.
  • Brush: When Ridwan informs Gabriel that he has escaped, guardian angels brush his wings.
    This symbol speaks of Gabriel's vanity, her spoiled personality, and how she's used to having things go her way.
  • Signs: Form of non-verbal communication. They symbolize Nina's power of expression without the use of words.

Scenarios:

  • Land of the gods
    • Vanaheimr Sky
  • Royal City of Anatae
    • Royal Castle
      • Prison
    • Coliseum
    • Suburbs
      • Rita's Clinic

References: 

  • Ridwan: In Islamic tradition, Riḍwan is the name of an angel entrusted with maintaining the gates of Paradise. The name of the female guardian angel means 'devoted to God'.
  • Renaissance clothing Favaro's costume is inspired by 16th-century European clothing, which is wide enough for him to hide his smoke bombs.
  • City of God: Brazilian movie whose slogan is 'If you run, the beast catches you; if you stay, the beast eats you'.

    In this episode, Mugaro, Kaisar, and Azazel manage to escape and escape from the "beasts" that prevented them.

Foreshadowing: 

  • Foreshadowing lines:
    • Nina: Why did you leave the land of the gods, Bacchus?
      Bacchus: To be worshipped and pampered as a god doesn't suit me. So I got rid of everything and left with Hipogriff.
      Hamsa: Ha, ha, ha, ha!
      Bacchus: What are you laughing at?
      Nina: That's great!
      Bacchus: Isn't it? Did you hear that, Hamsa?
      Hamsa: He makes it sound cool, but the truth is he fell madly in love with a human and went after her.
      Nina: Really? You fall in love too, Bacchus? How funny!

      These lines, while telling how someone like Bacchus gave up everything for love, foreshadow a similar situation related to Nina, who, unaware of the story, is in love with a human for whom she could give up everything, just as Bacchus did for the human he fell in love with.

  • Signs: 
    • Hamsa: I guess we need words to communicate.

      Although Nina is very expressive, her friends fail to fully understand her instructions because she doesn't make use of words. This is a repetitive pattern, as the first character to be unable to speak was Mugaro, so it could be a theme that'll be repeated again at some point, but it could involve Nina (*).

      (*): This is all related to the events that take place in episode 24, in which Nina ends up mute after shooting Dromos together with Chris/Charioce.

  • Alessand's sword: It symbolizes thirst for power, given how Alessand holds it.
    By holding it in his hand and admiring its edge while commenting to Dias that Kaisar deserves the sentence for having betrayed the king, it announces that something will happen to his status as a Knight Orleans very soon —something that ends up happening in episode 21.

  • Square file: Being an abrasive object symbolizes an impulsive or abrasive personality that leads to making mistakes involving others.

    In this case, being Azazel the one using the file to remove his collar, it's related to his personality and that he made a mistake by dragging Kaisar and the others into his plans, causing their misfortune and his own.

Characters: 

  • Nina: Nina visits Bacchus, Hamsa, and Mugaro, and approaches the latter to ask him how he's doing. 

    Having no answer, Bacchus and Hamsa tell her to leave him alone because he doesn't want to talk to anyone. Then, Nina goes with them and tells them that she got to Vanaheimr with the help of her village's elder and Hipogriff.

    As she tells them that they broke through the barrier against invaders, Bacchus comments that everything she says reminds him of the day he and Hamsa left the land of the gods. Nina asks him the reason behind his decision, and Bacchus answers that he did it because being worshipped and pampered doesn't go with him. However, Hamsa tells Nina the truth and that he did it because he fell madly in love with a human, which Nina thinks is awesome (*).

    (*): This is important because the decision Bacchus made was one he has never regretted and is something that makes him happy. That's why he always says that he was never exiled, but that it was his own decision to leave his old home.
    His example is inspiring for Nina, who in episodes 22 to 24, ends up making a decision for love.

    Nina falls asleep and, in her dreams, she is torn between her love for Chris and Charioce, as she doesn't know which of them is the real one, and it torments her.

    She dreams of Chris on the day of the festival and of kissing him after being courted by him. Failing to reach his lips, she opens her eyes and sees Charioce instead, which shocks her so much that she wakes up suddenly and forgets what she dreamed, although she has the feeling that it was a nightmare.

    When she wakes up, she realizes that Mugaro has swapped clothes with her and that he isn't in the room. She then hurries to tell Bacchus and Hamsa that Mugaro has escaped by pretending to be her.

    Together with them, she concludes that Mugaro has gone in search of Hipogriff.

    Nina, Bacchus, and Hamsa escape from the room making the guardian angels believe that Mugaro wants to go for a walk.

    Having Gabriel's approval and sending Ridwan to keep an eye on them, they quickly leave so that they won't realize that Mugaro is really Nina. However, the angels soon manage to find out what's going on and go after them.

    Nina hurries to escape with her friends, and they manage to reach the parking zone.

    Hidden and avoiding making noise, Nina communicates with Bacchus and Hamsa by employing signs instead of words to give instructions and catch Mugaro. 
    Bacchus and Hamsa don't quite catch them and the plan ends up failing, as the three of them crash in front of Mugaro instead of capturing him.

    Nina takes off after him on one of the aerial platforms but falls into the void while trying to hold him. Seeing her in trouble, Mugaro flies to her aid and saves her life.

    Nina thanks him and is glad to see that he's the same Mugaro as always, although he's changed a bit in appearance.

    Later, they are both rescued from the storm barrier by Bacchus and Hamsa.

    Nina supports Mugaro in his plans to bring peace to the world but is worried about Jeanne.

  • Chris/Charioce: He sentences Kaisar to fight to the death against Azazel in the coliseum as if waiting for them to do something and save themselves rather than waiting to see them die.

    He's satisfied with the course of events when he sees Favaro intervene and Kaisar and Azazel flee.

  • Kaisar: He's taken against his will by prison guards and brought to the coliseum as he has been sentenced to fight to the death against Azazel.

    As he has no intention of killing his friend, he fights with him and pretends to wound him to death in front of the crowd.

    His actions end up enraging the enthusiasts, who want to see blood flowing.

    Favaro, who was hiding among the spectators, saves him from the predicament and helps him escape with Azazel.

    Arriving at Rita's clinic, Kaisar asks her to help him find out what Charioce intends to do with a weapon that can annihilate gods.

    Azazel is convinced to do so when Rita passes him a file to remove the collar from his neck.. 

  • Azazel: Like Kaisar, he's forced to fight to the death with him. Azazel tells Kaisar to kill him if he doesn't want to die in his place.

    At some point, Azazel thinks Kaisar will give him a final lunge, but to his surprise, he doesn't. 

    They both end up being helped by Favaro and escape together.

    Arriving at Rita's clinic, Kaisar convinces him to help them since Charioce has a weapon of mass destruction, and they don't know what he intends to do with it. Azazel agrees since he feels indebted to them all and wants to amend his deeds.

  • Favaro: He sneaks into the coliseum crowd in disguise and literally lends Kaisar a hand —Rocky— so he can fight Azazel.

    When Kaisar and Azazel stop fighting, he seizes the opportunity and uses his smoke bombs to help them escape.

    Arriving at Rita's clinic, he plans to go elsewhere. However, Kaisar stops him by asking for his help to investigate what Charioce is planning and prevent a chaotic scenario if necessary. 

  • El/Mugaro: He escapes from his room pretending to be Nina after swapping clothes with her and goes in search of Hipogriff, with whom he intends to return to the surface.

    On his way, he's found by Nina, Bacchus, and Hamsa, who try to catch him, but when he tries to flee from them, he sees how Nina follows him on his aerial platform and falls from it into the void.

    Mugaro saves her and falls with her into the stormy barrier, from which they're rescued by Bacchus and Hamsa in Hipogriff. The turn of events makes him happy because they'll all go to the surface together.

    He promises Bacchus not to fight humans since he only wants to use his power to bring them peace.

  • Jeanne: She's saddened and worried to learn that her son has fled with Nina, Bacchus, and Hamsa to the surface.

  • Sofiel: He goes in search of El when he learns that he has escaped. He fails to understand why Bacchus returns to leave the land of the gods.

  • Gabriel: Upon learning that El has escaped, she sends Sofiel and guardian angels to get him back.

  • Ridwan: She realizes that Mugaro, Bacchus, Hamsa, and Nina have escaped and informs Gabriel of the situation as quickly as she can. 

  • Bacchus: He tells Nina the reason why he left the land of the gods. At first, he makes it seem like a life of worship and pampering isn't his thing, but Hamsa reveals that the real reason is that he fell madly in love with a human and gave up all the privileges he enjoyed for her.

    He panics when he learns that Mugaro has escaped because, this time, he and Hamsa will be exiled from the land of the gods for real.

    Together with Hamsa and Nina, they conjecture that Mugaro has gone in search of Hipogriff to go to the surface.

    Bacchus tries to catch Mugaro following Nina's plan, but when he fails, he sees how she goes after him and falls from her aerial platform when trying to capture him.

    Since Nina and Mugaro are in trouble, he doesn't hesitate and goes to their aid together with Hamsa and Hipogriff. And so he finds himself fleeing from the gods and becomes a fugitive.

    On his descent to the surface, he warns Mugaro that if he thinks of fighting with the humans, he'll take him back to his mother.

  • Hamsa: He tells Nina the real reason why Bacchus left the heavens.

    With Bacchus and Nina, he does his best to keep Mugaro from leaving the land of the gods, but, in the end, he ends up being a fugitive just like his friends.

  • Rita: He receives Kaisar and Azazel in her place. Rita was the one who sent Rocky to Kaisar through Favaro so he could defend himself properly (*).

    (*): Rita deeply cares about Kaisar since she's in love with him.

    She hands Azazel a file so that he can get rid of the collar on his neck.
This is the English version of the literary analysis originally posted in Spanish on September 24, 2022.

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