So i have a new svsss theory.
First of all some context. Im a literature student. I read all those boring works aclamed by the critics that dont say nothing, but tell you everything at the same time. And I kinda get why we think the Uliles is a literature masterpiece or why Kafka was such a genius.
But hear me out. MXTX? Fucking brilliant.
MXTX is a great writter, but her work are also filled with deeper meanings to explore, and every single plot line can be connected, has a meaning, everything is there bc se wants it to and bc it contributes to the story.
And for me, more than a fictional funny story, SVSSS is a work with the quality to become an all time literature classic. So hear me out.
Shen Jiu was the protagonist.
He was the protagonist on the original sotry, on Shang Qinghua's original story. He was the fucking protagonist!
First of all, he had the looks. Natural elegance and otherwordly attractiveness. Sj was cononically a man whose appearence stuck out.
Second, he was powerful. Sj was "chosen one" level of powerful. He was a kid, showing signs of a promising cultivator's future, a kind of innate strengh that wasnt found in any other character of the story (ygy and lbh had to cultivate years, before they could show such phisical manifestation of their powers).
Third, his realtionship with Ygy. Like, that's some main character shit! "If theres something like loyalty on this life, i will give all of mine to tpu". Ygy going to look for him, dying under thousands of arrows? Greek tragedias pale in front of the lifes Qu Ge and Xiao Jiu, "big brother seven and little slave nunber nine".
Also, he was an orphan, and he was humble. The first atribute relates to the hero's construction in traditional fiction storys, the hero of unknown original who is actually a long lost son (*cought* Luo Binghe *cought*). But an orphan hero is a pretty common figure in fiction.
The second one gains more meaning in relation to MXTX's works and chinese culture. In her works, we commonly have characters from humble begginings who are judged by their upbringings. This is perfectly clear in MDZS, as Wei Wuxian is cursed and blamed for everything he dies,: but his worst sin is that he was a commoner. And the hatred he recieves contrasts heavily with the love the Jianghu holds for Zhan Lang. If you take the time to look for it, there ate many implicantions related to social class diferences in MXTX's works.
Shen jiu was hated by Liu Qingge for his "sketchy ways". And Sqq's ways were nothing but a reflection from his upbringing: a poor, homeless slave child.
It also isn't a coincidence that Shen Yuan was a rich kid. Like, just think about it! Some people think that Sy and Sqq were " the same souls with different lives and if Sqq life had been better he could have been like sy". But like, have u read Sy?
Shen Yuan was a rich kid who never worked in his life, and spent his family's money on online novels. Shen Jiu was a slave who was abused and fought with thooth and nail every day of his life to assure himself he wouldn't have to suffer ever again. A genious, who knew how to be safe on the streets even as an infant, with unbreakable morals, who protected the only one he loved even till the end (acá ygy). If it wasnt for ygy, shen jiu wouldn evem had gotten in trouble, in the first place.
Not to offend any Sy's fans but he is kinda selfish, and dumb (in a loving way oc). And he had zero, ZERO emotional responsability. Sy didnt gave SHIT about what anyone felt (bc to him, everyone were just "characters"). But he also was kinda emotionally constipated. His only priorities in SVSSS were being safe, and looking good and "elegant".
Like come on, the man was the living representation of that meme that says "everything's fine", whole the ropa is on fire.
So yeah, sy and sj arent the same soul (we can have two protagonist without reducing one into the other, but this is a convo for a other day i guess). Sy and Sj are actually opposites, and here the great MXTX gives us another wonderful jab. Bc Sy was believed to be kind, when everything he did was for his own safety, meamwhile Sj was truly kind, often risking himself to save others around him (aka Liu fucking Qingge), but he was always misunderstood.
And Sy was rich, had an easy life and didnt need to do any work (he was born in a good enviorment, in both worlds, having everything handled to him). Meanwhile Sj struggled all his life never attaining a true sence of safety.
This is why I say MXTX is true a genius. Sy and Sj are comppleate opposites for each others. If you analize her works deeper, you will start to find all these small connections that give meaning to every single action.
Shen Jiu is our protagonist. But he fails. It's no one's fault, jut at the same time it's everyone's.
Yue QingYuan didn't come back. Shen Jiu waited for too long. Que Haitang didn't realize. Qiu Jianluo was a sick (rich) fuck. Wu Yanzi was there. Shen Jiu was human, and he made mistakes, and he was afraid.
Shen Jiu never gave up: he fought, he grew, he shone like the protagonist he was, unbreakeble, a 'protagonist halo' that protected him even as he went through hell.
But it didn't protect him psychologically.
And everyone around him didnt see what he really was. Instead of a protagonist, Sqq was tilted as the villan.
Now this is my personal theory, but the system couldnt allow a story with no main character. He has to replace Shen Jiu.
Enters: original Luo Binghe. Now lets analize Binghe. He was poor and humble at the beggining, but he had noble blood. Powerful blood. And a mother, a privilege young Sj didnt obtain.
Lbh becomes the protagonist, and here is when PIDW starts.
But Lbh also fails! Bc true heroes avoid darkness, dont fall into revenge. True heroes forgive, they become better people that their masters. Lbh is actually a worse versión of Sj, not a better one. If sj supoosedly preyed on women, lbh had a harem full of them. If sj hurt his martial brithers, lgh destroyed his sect. If sj was a menance to the Jianghu, Lbh literaly destroyed it.
And Lbh himself isnt even happy at the end, his Sjizhun dead, the world at his hands, a harem surrounding him and the deep, emptiness in his heart that cannot be fieled by anything.
Og! Lbh fails, and this is where Sy comes in.
Bc sj's presence on the story made such a mess, the system chooses someone who is his compleate opposite. Rich, selfish and dumb. And then it gets rid of Og! Shen Qingqiu
Did he die? We dont know. Is he in another world? Does he get his happy ending, does someone remember him?
Sj was rhe main character of this story, but now he is missing. And everyone else goes on without him. Everyone else becomes a person, something more than a character, as Sy realizes that he is in for this world and the people around him have hearts and feelings too.
Shen Jiu doest get that. He doesnt become a person, he doesnt get his arc. He is nothing more that a pitiful character.
This is why i think SVSSS is a masterpiece.
Shall we mourn forever the protagonist we lost. He didnt fit the narrative, thus he had to be taken down.
