As someone who loves snakes, I really love Snake. Of course that also means I really love his snakes, and as someone who’s always been kind of a biology nerd, I thought to try my hand at classifying them. This was honestly really fun to do, and I hope some of you enjoy it!
…. says Keats.
Emily
Starting with my personal favorite, Emily is without a doubt a kingsnake, and if we want to go further she’s most likely a red milk snake. The distinctive pattern, bands of yellow and black on red, are actually a trademark of many kingsnake species. This clever disguise is used to mimic the venomous coral snake, keeping predators away.
Some fun kingsnake lore, these constrictors got their name because they hunt and consume other snakes when given the opportunity. They even hunt rattlesnakes, and have a high immunity to their venom.
Oscar
Next we have Oscar, who is most definitely a red-tailed green ratsnake. Don’t be fooled by the name, their tails are typically not red, but a light brown. Oscar was also very easy to identify, the tail and the cute blue tongue really gave it away.
Interestingly, this species is known for having quite the attitude when kept in captivity, which I find translates well into Oscar’s cheeky personality. These snakes are also exceptional hunters, waiting in treetops to strike birds in mid-flight.
Donne
My second favorite noodle, Donne, is a tiny little thing called a blind snake. At first I thought he might be a worm snake, but the length and lack of eyes made me reconsider (blind snakes have very small rudimentary eyes that are barely visible, especially from a distance). These little cuties are harmless, and indeed small enough to sit on the human ear, at only 8 cm long (they can grow up to 16 cm, but not usually).
Goethe
This dazzling noodle here is a corn snake, but not just a corn snake. Goethe is partially albino! If the striking fluorescent orange coloring and pretty pink eyes weren’t enough, he’s got a lovely pattern that certainly screams “creamsicle” to me.
Unlike Oscar, corn snakes make lovely pets with even temperaments, second only to ball pythons (though I guess I’m a little biased).
Keats
Unlike Goethe, Keats is completely albino… which made pinpointing him a little difficult. It also doesn’t help that he has no patterning whatsoever. So, going by the shape of his face and his total size, I’d say Keats is most likely an albino gopher snake.
Wordsworth
This one was a little tricky, despite his pattern it was difficult to pinpoint what Wordsworth could possibly be. After mulling it over, I realized he’s a corn snake. Though the pattern might look a little different, it follows the same rule, and the head and pupil shape match.
A good rule of thumb, if the pupil is round and the head is small, it’s most likely a constrictor. Venomous snakes tend to have slit pupils and skinny necks (and big fat heads). This helps identifying to some degree.
Wilde
Wilde is a big ol’ snake most people know, a boa constrictor. As far as they go, he’s certainly tiny, but his face and body shape are near identical (the pear shaped head is pretty indicative of large constrictors).
Despite being fairly small for a boa, Wilde is still a hefty snake, and would probably weigh upwards of 20-27 kg. That’s a lot to hold on your shoulders!
Webster
Unlike the rest of Snake’s snakes, Webster stands out in that he’s the only venomous one here. His pattern, bright yellow eyes, and slit pupils all indicate that he’s a copperhead. Another difference between venomous and non-venomous snakes, the fangs are only prominent in venomous snakes (non-venomous snakes don’t need to pump venom, so their teeth are smaller and hook-shaped). Despite being a pit viper, copperhead’s venom has a low potency, and the snake themselves are considered none aggressive.
Bronte
Despite searching through almost every arc and skimming through the ovas, the only panels I’ve found of Bronte were of absolutely no help… I can’t even fathom what he might be. He is… a mystery.
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Look say what you want about Lizzie in the latest chapter but if I was 15 years old and had just found out that the last four years of my life was founded entirely on lies I’d be pretty fucking upset too.
She’s coming to terms with terrible flaws in her own character that she never thought she’d have to address. She knows that she would have been happier had r!Ciel returned instead of o!Ciel. Now we as the omnipotent readers know there was more to o!Ciel’s decision than just her relationship with the twins, but she doesn’t. She sees herself as part of the problem. All she knows is that o!Ciel pretended to be r!Ciel and that she knows she would have been happier with r!C’s return. That’s what’s tearing her apart. She recognises that was selfish and horrible and that o!Ciel deserved better than that, whereas all the while she was just focused on her own happiness. She thought it was love, but she never thought of him.
But above all else she thinks everything the cult did was her fault. She didn’t want r!Ciel to die again, so she ignored the terrible things they did. Had o!Ciel never pretended to be his brother then none of it would have happened. And in her grief, in her guilt, she knows that if she’d cherished o!Ciel like he deserved none of this would have happened.
Yes, she was selfish. Yes, she ignored mass murder. And yes, she was fixated on love when there was so much more going on.
But that’s why she’s upset.
Everything was a lie. And the truth was her fault. That’s a lot for a fifteen year old to handle.
This is what I love about her current turmoil in the manga that I think haters just refuse to understand. She knows what she did was horrible! She knows she has been selfish! And she feels guilty for not realizing there’s so many things going on around her without her knowing while she focused on her struggles in love (which is not her fault at all, given that O!Ciel never told her anything, and made sure to keep her completely unaware of them). She has been trying to understand why O!Ciel would lie, and when she realizes she is part of the reason why, it broke her. Because she knows that had that hypothetical situation where he didn’t lie happened, her preferring one twin over the other is wrong and heartless.
I don’t think anyone is so ready to accept their own faults and mistakes, even in adulthood. But she is trying to face them, and is being consumed by guilt, fear and shame over it. And go through that without any good support except for a shady cult, your undead fiance and an obsessed ex-reaper, who can all feed you with twisted lies and half-truths, and a bit of manipulation just to keep you at their side, it’ll only take some time before your heart and mind completely crumbles.
Have some faith in Lizzy and what else Yana has in store for her character. She did not develop Lizzy’s story and her relationship with O!Ciel just to ignore and throw them all away! It’s going to be hard but, the only way she can move to grow and mature is to go forward and face this situation. And hopefully, in the end.. she finds her resolve.
— A surprisingly long and in depth look about symbolism in the recent G-Fantasy cover by Yana Toboso ✦
Including references, flower language, how to decode the meaning of flowers, and a little too much brainrot. As well my personal interpretation drawn from all the sources I looked at.
And of course what all of means (and maybe hints at?) for Sebastian and Ciel… and maybe even Sebaciel?
Originally posted as a twitter thread, but threads suck and I forgot a couple things. so here now.
Disclaimer :
I don’t know FOR SURE that all these things were directly referenced by Yana when creating this art. But being a fan of her work for over a decade I've become familiar with her use of symbolism and reference, and believe myself to have a good eye for it at this point!
I'm also pretty familiar with the use of flower language, including different languages, due to having been involved in a project about it and having to read wayyy too much about this.
Some of it also includes my own personal interpretation, but the meanings and info I based myself off of ARE factual. I think I made it pretty clear when referencing my personal interpretation. You're welcome to reach your own interpretation based off of the stuff provided!
And lastly, I'm not a sebaciel shipper. I'm not an anti (the complete opposite, actually) and have nothing against the ship, I like the narrative around them and how they're written but I don’t actively ship them romantically or sexually. So I'd say this is actually a pretty unbiased interpretation. Personal taste is one thing, but I don’t deny the author's intention and whats written in front of me! That is what this post is about.
Kuroshitsuji takes place in the Victorian period (1837~1901) in 1889.
The following are both important Victorian books on the language of flowers that I will be basing myself off of.
Language of Flowers by Greenaway Kate (1884), and The Language of flowers: An Alphabet of Floral Emblems (1857).
(Also, I’m treating Ciel’s rose as a deep red rose. Which is a bit different than red roses. But I am adding some relevant information about roses in general, anyway.
Now, on what they say about these flowers.
Deep rose, meaning "bashful shame". White lily, meaning "Purity and sweetness."
— The White Lily
Most people assume that the lily refers to Ciel's purity, and that’s a fair assumption. But I disagree.
Firstly, the one holding the lily is Sebastian. Holding it on his right hand, tilted towards the right. However what's relevant here is the VIEWER. From the viewer's POV he's holding it to the left. Note he also holds the scissors on his left hand, where he bears HIS contract seal.
How you hold a flower, what position you give it to someone in, changes the meaning of the flower. These context clues are very important. It tells us that 'purity and sweetness' doesn’t refer to Ciel, but actually refers to Sebastian (…sorta).
This may be a little confusing. Purity and sweetness, Sebastian?! I know, I know. bear with me.
These books provide poems to help us understand how you may interpret the intended meaning. The lily poem is about enduring trials out of love because of the purity and sweetness he sees in his lover's eyes and soul. I believe Yana directly references the poems I will include in this post in her new artwork.
— My Interpretation
the meaning of Sebastian's lily is:
"I do all out of love for the sweetness and purity within you."
Him holding it to the contact seal and cutting the flower could stand for him destroying this sentiment (affection within himself) that has arisen in him as a result of their contract by destroying the sweetness and purity—the source of it—within Ciel (consuming his soul).
Note: This is debatable, as 'reversed' almost always means upside down. But if you consider the lily facing away from the viewer as reversed then it could mean "impurity and bitterness" which fits pretty well with Ciel, and it being held against the contract seal which is a physical representation of his impurity, brought on by his bitterness.
— The Deep Red Rose
There something I find very interesting. The rose is in a teacup, standing in for tea (I think there's even tea alongside it in the cup.) From Yana herself we know that Sebastian's eyes are a reference to the reddish brown colour of tea.
Like I said, I believe this rose to be a deep red rose, which is a bit more specific than the meaning given to red roses. However I think the poem included for roses in general very much applies here.
I was going to add my thoughts but I found this interpretation that sums it up pretty well if you replace the carpe diem theme with a more "running out of time" or "impending death" theme, which seems to be a more accurate reading for this artwork.
Looking at the rose itself, it has no thorns or leaves.
It is not a youthful rose as its already fully open and losing petals. "No hope, and no fear" fits with the poem, the rose is basically an hourglass referring to Ciel. His fate is unavoidable, but this isn't a deterrent. He's dancing on the ledge.
The deep red rose means 'bashful shame'.
When you compare it to the lily, which is a direct proclamation, the deep red rose is a quiet confession one cannot verbalize.
Debatable, to be fair but given the tie in to Sebastian's eye colour and the fact that he is always the one pouring tea for Ciel, I believe the Sebastian to be the speaker here too, but this time speaking on Ciel's feelings (Hence why he's the one holding it) rather than Sebastian's own.
— My Interpretation
The meaning of the deep red rose Ciel holds, speaking about Ciel's feelings of guardedness, and in response saying:
"Abandon your bashful shame, and let yourself be admired without expectations (hope) or fear"
Sebastian speaks about Ciel's feelings, the deep red rose acknowledges his feelings but they remain unspoken.
The Waller poem is a plead for his beloved to seize the day, for time is short, and allow herself to be loved completely.
Her beauty is one to be appreciated, she is not meant to be a rose unacknowledged (unloved) in the desert.
Regarding 'expectations', I think this is more about rigid ideas of how 'appreciation' or 'admiration, might be shown or received. Sebastian and Ciel's relationship defies normality or 'expectations'. So this, too, would defy expectations a young boy like Ciel, or a traumatised boy like Ciel, may have.
From Yana herself, we know Sebastian's dedication and how highly he holds 'beauty', specifically Ciel's beauty.
The author of the poem proclaims that beauty not appreciated is not beautiful indeeed, and so he calls his beloved to come to him and be appreciated wholly during the invaluable, limited time they have.
We see the deep red rose's petals fall away, in my opinion not only symbolising the withering away of time, but also the crumbling away of this "bashful shame" that Sebastian ascribes to Ciel.
How Sebastian wishes to "appreciate" this beauty is debatable. How he wants to "admire" and "desire" (per the poem) Ciel is rather open ended. Wether it be in a romantic way, a sexual way or by consuming his soul.
However, I don’t think these are mutually exclusive. And consuming Ciel can easily be a metaphor for the former two.
— The Lily and The Rose
The Greeneaway book has this poem which im sure was directly referenced. This poem speaks about the lily and the rose in a direct power struggle and fight for dominance, until they eventually unite and reign as one.
Now when speaking about this "union", you could say it refers to their contract, but I don’t think so.
The contract ties them to each other, but it doesn’t necessarily unite them. So I believe 'unity' to be about the appreciation Sebastian speaks of Ciel opening up to.
"The Lily" and "The Rose" might be interpreted as directly representing Sebastian and Ciel, and the unity that would come from them joining and becoming a truly complimentary pair. I think a power struggle and fight for being the one in control is very accurate way to describe their current dynamic in canon.
It may also be interpreted as "The Lily" and "The Rose" as being representations of their feelings and ideals previously. And then it would represent these two conflicting expressions—a loud unrelenting and destructive devotion, and a guarded, bashful, unspoken reluctance— coming together and turning from conflicting to complimentary.
Or as it tends to be with these things, both!
Either way all of this is expressed under the sense of impending doom created by their circumstances and the contract. So there's a sense of urgency permeating all of it.
Also clear to me is a sense of internal conflictedness coming from Sebastian's message that is usually only hinted at like this, and some people end up overlooking.
Sebastian desires Ciel deeply, but having him would also mean not being able to have him anymore.
Sebastian is torn and that’s why he attempts to cut the root of his wavering feelings represented by the lily.
All of this makes me wonder about what's next, and if we will see these things said more blatantly. Foreshadowing with flower language and references like this, isn't exactly rare for Yana. I wonder if we will see this 'unity' come to be, and what necessary development Sebastian and Ciel will need to undergo to make it possible. As well as what shape it will take.
I also wonder very much about Ciel's perspective in all of this, as this was almost entirely from Sebastian's POV, but I think that's intentional. Ciel has his own goals and a lot on his mind. Sebastian's goal IS Ciel. So I assume he spends a lot more time thinking about Ciel and this kind of thing.
Thank you if you read the whole way through. Like I said before, even though the sources defending it are, my interpretation is not law and you're welcome to reach your own with the things presented.
Links for sources, including free public domain PDFs of the books mentioned are found at the end of my twitter thread.
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Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Kunitori #130 (2011.10.01)
There’s nothing like hearing your beloved seiyuu cracking up about penises and boners. XD
Yasumoto Hiroki is a guest in this episode. A listener submitted a quiz question about Shigaken dialect — it asks how would you call a close relationship like that of Ojiki and Waka (Ojiki = Hino, Waka = Tachi). The choices are:
1) "chin chin" (= penis)
2) “chun chun” (= chirping)
3) "chon chon" (= clapping)
4) "bin bin" (= hard, as in penis…i.e. a boner)
Yasu: “NO WAY. NO WAY! NO THIS ISN’T—”
Tachi: “Timer start.”
Hino: “Which of these is worth 3 points? Chin chin? Bin bin?”
(LOL)
Tachi: “Either one’s fine!”
Yasu: “Heh~? There’s no way!”
Hino: “Chin chin, chun chun, chon chon, bin bin.”
(LOL)
Tachi: “Funny when you put it together like that!”
Then there’s too much chaos here, I can’t make it out. In the end, Yasumoto picks "chin chin", Hinocchi picks "bin bin", and Tachi picks "chon chon.”
Hino: “Alright, which one is the correct answer—?!”
All: “The correct answer is—!”
Hino: “#1!”
Yasu: “NO WAY!”
Hino: “CHIN CHIN!! (applause) —Oh wait, oh, I LOST!!”
(LOL)
The listener wrote that it could be used like, “yappa ano futari wa chin chin yarou" which, in this dialect, actually means something like "those two actually have a great, close/intimate friendship."
But without knowing about the dialect, and without context, that “chin chin yarou" sounds something like "let’s penis”(?) —> the closest English equivalent I could think of is “let’s bone.” XD
(to be continued)
*edit - Oh yeah. I kept thinking of “yarou" as the verb, but forgot to mention that if taken as the noun, "chin chin yarou" might even sound something like "dick(s) [lit. penis guy(s)?]”.
Yasumoto: Speaking of cicadas, today, I went to the studio while riding my bike. Then while I was waiting for the traffic lights to change, a cicada landed on my thigh. In the past, I was totally okay with bugs, but now, I’m seriously afraid of them!
Kaji: Yasumoto-san, you’re afraid of bugs!?
Yasumoto: I’m scared of them! I’m not a “mushi-king!” I’m a “no mushi-king”!
Maeno: “No mushi-king”?! I think that’s normal for people though.
Yasumoto: And so, the cicada landed on my thigh, and then, at that moment, even though I’m already an adult at the nice ripe age of 32 years, I went all “hiyaaaah~!”
Maeno: In a girly voice?!
Kaji: This is the first time I’ve heard that kind of voice from you!
Yasumoto: I was so scared, it suddenly went buzzing in and landed on my thigh, so I went all “hiyaaaah~!”
Kaji: And then? What did you do?
Yasumoto: I just shook my thigh to make it fly off!
Kaji: You didn’t touch it?! You just shook it off?!
