An analysis over the Submas' designs.
If there is one thing we can say about those two, is the fact that their design are quite memorable, in spite of being such minor characters. For this analysis, I will credit @kishi-extra for a few elements (please check their blog, it's very interesting and have helped me a lot with this post) as well as what I found about them.
First of all, Emmet and Ingo are actually based on Japanese train conductors, in spite of Unova being inspired by New-York. This explain the overall attire with the coat, cap and gloves.
But it's not just that! According to their character designer, Yusuke Ohmura, their designs are also associated with the idea of clowns. Which explains why their coats and caps are so big and the odd shape of their shoes.
There are also very subtle details that link these guys to trains, beyond their positions and the type of Battle Facility they work at. On their coats, there are strips and buttons that are positioned very specifically: the buttons are in-between the strips, reminding the idea of train rails. Additionally, the circle in the middle part of their caps is actually shaped like an old train lamp. Also, their oddly shaped and pointy side burns? They are actually directional arrows , which fits with the fact their names are based on puns.
But two very recognizable aspects of Ingo and Emmet are the following: their faces and the color of their clothes. And these two elements are brilliant themselves for a few reasons.
First of all, let's talk about their faces: they are based on the tragedy and comedy masks. In Ancient Greece, actors were required to wear masks fitting their roles or to express their characters' emotions. Which fits both the twins with their association with the idea of clowns.
Second of all, the color of their uniforms are symbolic from the games they were first introduced in: Black and White. White is the color of Truth while black is the color of Ideals.
Which serves as a brilliant juxtaposition between the faces and the symbolic colors: Emmet smiles but is the most serious and realistic between the two twins while Ingo frowns but is optimistic and idealistic to a fault. Their faces serves as ironic masks compared to who they truly are thanks to their clothes' colors that tells what type of person they are.
I could stop my analysis there, but it's not over yet. While I've said everything about Emmet, I didn't with Ingo.
Ingo comes back in PLA with a new design and it shows.
His coat is tattered from the bottom part; the end of his sleeves are ruined and his poor cap has seen better days. He has visibly aged or shows signs of exhaustion while he sports an untrimmed goatee at his chin. Gone are his immaculate white shirt, his purple neck tie and his white gloves. Now, he wears the pink tunic from the Pearl Clan and his right wrists adorns a wooden bracelet with Sneasler's face carved on it.
Ingo has completely changed in terms of design, which is not a coincidence: he's an amnesiac man stranded in the past, in another region: Ancient Sinnoh or Hisui. The pink tunic clashes with the more modern clothes, telling you this man does not belong in Hisui and the fact he's missing white on him is due to the fact he forgot his Truth. He forgot his past. He forgot his beloved twin brother.
Which turns his ironic frown in a tragic light: he's the perfect image of the sad Pierrot who's constantly facing tragedies. Ingo is a man lamenting over his lack of memories and the fact he is in a world that does not want his presence, while wanting to go back to a place he cannot remember yet misses dearly.
Yet, there is still a part of the old Ingo that still remains. He's still wearing black. He's still wearing his dress shoes and black pants. He's still clinging onto his old coat. He's still following his Ideals, deep down. He's still determined to go home, no matter what.
And that's exactly why I love this design, like I liked his old one alongside Emmet's. It's just so great.
