Marin_243

I’ve had this drawing ready since I read the episode, but I didn't feel like posting it at the time.

I’ll be honest: I don’t like how it turned out. Or maybe it’s just my own laziness for forcing myself to get up and try to take a mirror selfie—just because I felt like it. I might try again, but with a more natural approach—and not a Lego one—to really highlight the details of Porty’s physical transformation.

There is something that has always been on my mind: the character of Xiangliu. I believe the LMK team wanted to handle this character with the same care they applied to LBD—likely dedicating two seasons and a special to him, just as they did for her—but they hadn't anticipated the subsequent issues.

I mention this because Season 4 cast doubt on MK's origins and the reason he possesses Sun Wukong's powers, ultimately revealing his identity as the Stone Monkey during his fight with Azure. Then, in Season 5, we learn that MK's purpose was to serve as the sacrifice needed to initiate a new cycle—since Nuwa could find no way to repair the Pillar and had trapped everyone in a loop of endless timelines.

Xiangliu tells us that he gained a measure of control upon coming into contact with Chaos and simply couldn't stand the loop Nuwa had trapped them in. We don't have further context beyond that, but the way he treats Wukong with such familiarity—almost like a friend—while rejecting Macaque made me wonder about a few things.

What if Xiangliu tried to break the loop using these two monkeys? He would go after Macaque first, given his ability to hear the past, present, and future. But he wouldn't get what he wanted, or perhaps Macaque heard something he wasn't supposed to reveal. So, he would turn to the Sage, telling him about a being born from the same stone who was destined to be a pig led to the slaughter. Who knows how many timelines failed before Xiangliu reached a different conclusion.

Instead of forcing the herald to abandon his predetermined mission of self-sacrifice, what if they made him experience other situations that would lead him to realize there is always a third option?

So, in the new cycle, the decision is made to wake MK up ahead of schedule—giving him a human appearance as a disguise—and leave him right in front of Pigsy’s shop. This way, MK would not merely be the Herald of Chaos but the Successor—the hero who saved the world more than once—thereby learning not to act alone and understanding the meaning of sacrifice.

Most importantly, Xiangliu never forces MK to take his side (even though that is likely what he wants—to unleash chaos, having lost his mind). He constantly tells MK that, at that moment, he must decide whether to follow the destiny planned for him, let Chaos take over, or choose another path. And it worked: MK manages to repair the Pillar, averting the end of the world, and sends Xiangliu back to Chaos (a win-win?).

Anyway. I just wanted to share this because, despite how rushed everything was, I found this demon interesting. He was behind the events even more than the LBD herself in order to achieve his goal, and I feel like people don't talk about that much.

Byeee.

I know what you're thinking: the coloring and shading are crap. And let me tell you, you're right HAHA-

I never really cared about learning to paint—especially light and shadow—but I actually had fun painting Porty while looking for references, trying to avoid making it look like a weird smoothie.

This is just my interpretation based on the lovely drawings the author shares (especially since I don't have much reference material for Xiao and Hwang—I need more of them ;-;)

It shouldn't be such a big deal. I mean, I feel like creating OCs is a wonderful thing for an artist because you pour time and effort into an original character—whether it's for yourself or inspired by the universe of a series you loved.

But I feel so ashamed to say it, yet I also want to show it—it’s so contradictory.

So I decided to make a Musical Monkey fanart by @lunaria-maharlika that I have been wanting to make for a long time. Simply Apollo and Dionysus enjoying the spectacle of their protégé and successor.