#overblot analysis

Now, “Blessing” is a fun name for Malleus’s overblot song since it is somewhat implied that a lot of Malleus’s troubles with his incredible amounts of power come not only from his heritage as a draconic fae, but also because of a ‘blessing’ received at his birth. Naturally, these blessings were well-meaning, but since they were being given by fae, they could’ve have been far too potent and, on top of his already inborn power due to this family and heritage, may have resulted in him being too-powerful. Which brings up the question of: When does a ‘blessing’ become a ‘curse’?

Ah―

UNDER MY REIGN

So, with a level of drama characteristic to Malleus the song starts with something akin to a pained cry followed by the words “under my reign.” This is notable as something that repeats at the end of the song, meaning this can be viewed as a theme at both the beginning and end of Malleus’s overblot. His people are under his reign. And, as shown several times within the Twisted Wonderland story, Malleus wonders if he is truly ready to rule. And, bluntly put, he’s not. Now, I would like to say here that he does have a lot of good traits for a ruler! But he isn’t ready to rule. Not yet. And his overblot fully shows why this is.

Within a pristine private garden,

Countless voices cry out.

What plays there is the song of prayer you composed.

So we have voices crying out in a private garden while a song of prayer someone composed plays. So, with reference to Twisted Wonderland’s Diasomnia chapter plot, the private garden is probably discussing the seclusion Malleus dealt with while growing up and there are countless voices crying out. Based on his overblot backstory, some of these voices are in fear, some are in awe, and some are filled with unfair hopes placed on the young prince. The song of prayer mentioned here is probably the tune hummed by Meleanor for Malleus. It was a prayer of hopes for Malleus. There is the question of precisely what those hopes were and whether they were entirely  fair to place on him, but no matter the contents of this prayer, it is still a mother’s prayer of hopes for her yet unhatched son during a time of war between humans and fae.

Does time simply pass? Or does it disappear?

All I ever wanted was to have fun for a little while longer.

These lyrics have more to do directly with Malleus than people’s hopes for him. And it is juxtaposed with people’s hopes for him. While so many expect and want great things from him, Malleus himself just wanted to play for a bit longer even as he ponders what happens to time. Whether it passes, or disappears.

Malleus has an odd relationship with time in a great many ways due to both his long-lived nature as a fae and the fact that he has been isolated for so long. But Malleus is shown to have, in many ways, a largely innocent and childlike view of his own wishes. It’s almost like he stagnated in terms of growth and maturing due to the seclusion he experienced as he grew up until he went to NRC. There is no talk of greatness or ruling over others here. He just wants to play for a bit longer. But what has happened to the time he’s already spent playing? Has it just moved on, or is it gone forever?

Ah,

This is all for your beautiful future.

You're simply unaccustomed to benedictions,

With your fleeting existence.

It can be an illusion, or even a memory.

Now, take in as much as you'd like.

Simply be in bliss forever.

And here we have a Malleus who has overblotted. He’s pushing his wishes on everyone else and claiming it's for their own good. Just like how he received blessings, hopes, and prayers that he may not have actually wanted, he’s forcing his so-called ‘benedictions’ or blessings, upon others. 

In Malleus’s mind, everyone will have a beautiful future so long as they sleep. He knows they won’t live as long as he does, so wouldn’t it be best to simply for them to be in bliss for eternity before their fleeting existence disappears or passes on? 

This chorus is no doubt largely posed towards the Diasomnia family, I imagine, but Malleus also bestows this so-called blessing on the Prefect and the rest of the school. This indicates that, in his own strange way, Malleus has come to love all of NRC. Which isn’t really surprising. Prefect is his first real friend who isn’t afraid, subservient, or worshipping towards him. Meanwhile NRC, for its part, is the first place he’s been free of the fae senate and all those who lay unfair hopes about his future on him. So he wants to thank everyone in his own, largely misguided, way.

Even the slightest bit of pain,

Cannot cause harm behind those closed eyes.

No matter what, stay fast asleep.

Here Malleus is explaining what he is giving those he is blessing with his gift of eternal sleep and happiness. They won’t be hurt. So they should just stay asleep. That way they’re safe. 

In some ways this is lovely imagery, if somewhat twisted. So long as they sleep in Malleus’s magic, and if you want to stretch it symbolically, his embrace, they’re safe. He won’t let anything hurt them, because they are dear to him. So long as they are asleep and, dare I say it, under his reign, they are safe.

Ah ―

See for yourself that it is foolish to resist.

Everything you try will simply be a meaningless struggle.

And here it is. The obligatory statement of how struggling is meaningless due to how overwhelmingly powerful Malleus is. This is a theme that really appears to crop up in all of the overblot songs and/or scenes. Struggling against them is futile because of how powerful they are while they are overblotted, and they mean well, so why fight? It’s a powerful theme, because it shows how absorbed the overblot characters truly are in the moment, but also how drunk they are on their own power to the point where they actively underestimate those around them. Because, as we have seen in each chapter, the overblotted character does not win. Ever.

Ah,

The dream will continue, repeating over and over.

Dawn will never break,

There will never be an end.

The start of this chorus is, bluntly put, deeply disturbing. Malleus claims nothing will change. Dawn will never break and the dream he has placed everyone in will never end.

Now, the real reason this section is so disturbing is the link that is always placed between Silver and dawn. Silver’s father was, of course, the dawn knight, and Silver himself is linked with dawn via his largely implied pseudo inspiration from Sleeping Beauty (i.e. Aurora), with Aurora being the name of the Roman goddess of dawn as well as a word for dawn. The question here is whether Malleus is asserting that Silver will never break, despite how close he came in the course of Malleus’s overblot, or that Silver will never beat him? After all, Silver is one of the first people to actively take a stand against Malleus in the course of the overblot as he started breaking people out of their dreams.

Do not be afraid, just take my hand.

Now, from here until eternity,

Within an endless dream,

Simply be in bliss forever.

Now these lyrics are fun. The ‘take my hand’ line strikes me as a bit of a callback to the very start of the game to mind where players are asked to choose a character and take their hand. So this can be taken as very meaningful if the player chose to take Malleus’s hand. However, Malleus could also be telling those he has cursed to take his hand, trust him, and not fear any of this. He’s going to take care of everything, so just rest blissfully in the endless dream he has crafted.

Ah―

UNDER MY REIGN

So, first off we have the title which really caught my attention very quickly. The ‘Still Infallible’ part indicates that either he, Leona, or the individual(s) the song is directed at are ‘still’ incapable of making mistakes and/or being wrong. However, this is followed directly by the words ‘until tangible’ which implies that Leona or, again the audience of this song, are incapable of making mistakes until he or they are suddenly perceptible by touch. Now this can be taken a few different ways. If you go with the Leona interpretation, then Leona himself comes across as infallible, until you get close and realize exactly how messed up he is. This would reflect Jack’s initial hero-worship that he has until he starts getting a closer look at Leona. A second interpretation of the title could be that Leona himself is keeping his distance from others so that he won’t fall apart, because he recognizes the moment someone gets too close and he is touched (i.e. he becomes ‘tangible’ to them) he’ll fall apart. Finally, there’s a third interpretation if this title reflects the audience of the song which would mean Leona finds the audience infallible until he gets closer to them (i.e. they become tangible) and he realizes they too can make mistakes.

Now, I would like to note, before we go any further, that this is a very somber song and drives home the point (which I will note here has been contested within the fandom in the past, though I’m not going to point any fingers) that Leona is depressed. In fact, it has been implied in certain areas (i.e. the light novel version of the Savanaclaw dorm story) that Leona is even suicidal. So please be prepared for a downer of a song and exercise caution if any of these things are overly upsetting for you.

Beyond the closed door, I hear a festive song

The wavering voice sounds distant as even shadows scatter from it

Heading to the other side of the night, I yearn endlessly

For a pride that will shield me

So, Leona’s song isn’t pulling its punches. Right from the get go, it is already sad. The image being painted here is Leona on his own, listening to cheerful sounds of others through a door, and even though it's just right through a door, it all sounds so distant and gets scattered by the shadows (i.e. dark thoughts and depression) that Leona has surrounded himself with. So off he goes, to something poetically called ‘the other side of the night,’ yearning all the while for someone to shield him. This is particularly notable since in the JP version of Twisted Wonderland it is very clear that Leona is the hated second prince, with the emphasis being placed on ‘hated’ rather than ‘second.’ Due to this, it’s quite possible that Leona feels like there is no one who ever loved him or cared about him enough to shield him from others who hate him for possibly no other reason than the fact that he has such a terrifying signature spell and his habit of being moody. In this case, it is quite possible he is thinking of his family the entire time, but since they failed him he longs for a family, or Pride, that won’t.

Now I should note here that there is another translation for the lines: “I yearn endlessly for a pride that will shield me” which does somewhat change the meaning. This other translation is: “After constant insatiable longing, even arrogance becomes my shield.” Arrogance of course is very similar to pride, with pride typically being used because of its dualistic meaning of pride (the feeling vs. the group of lions). Anyway, this other translation has the pride being Leona’s shield, indicating he uses others as a shield against his own longing. This is an interesting interpretation to, as it indicates that the few relationships Leona does have, serve as a shield against his longing.

The light fades away, leaving the world unchanged, still colored in infallibility. 

No matter how many times I reach out

These hands grasped nothing but air

If that’s how it is, let it turn to sand.

Moving forward, the first line of the chorus here is very interesting as it talks about how the light is fading, despite the fact that in the first verse it was described as being nighttime. However, the world remains unchanged even now. But here is where it gets interesting, with the words ‘Still colored in infallibility’ being tied to his description of the world being unchanged. So here, rather than infallible referring to Leona, infallible refers to the world itself. A world that Leona appears to feel has rejected him. The description of such a world being infallible indicates that Leona feels that this rejection is justified though. If we read into this, it can feasibly be inferred that being hated for so long has led to Leona hating himself and thereby viewing a world’s rejection of him as entirely reasonable. From Leona's persepective it is possibly a situation where he’s hated because he is unpleasant and generally hate-able, so obviously he’ll be rejected.

From that first line we flow into the rest of the chorus. Despite accepting that he has been rejected, and even viewing that as the right choice, Leona is still reaching out. He probably can’t even help it. However, he can’t reach anything or anyone. He’s still all alone, right where he started. This possibly references how misunderstood Leona is implied to be by the Savanaclaw dorm. Indeed, the light novel and manga both suggest that a big causal part of Leona’s overblot was the way the Savanaclaw dorm viewed him and placed all their hopes and dreams on him despite the fact that he feels like everything he does is ruined from the start. In other words, Leona views the Savanaclaw dorm's bright hope and nigh-idolatry of his own power as weighty. Possibly even to the point where it is crushing him under the weight of their expectations of him.

Either way, the chorus ends with the summation that, if Leona is going to be rejected, then everything might as well be sand. Which is what we see in Leona’s overblot. Even Ruggie, who didn’t reject him, but has been implied to have fundamentally misunderstood Leona and thus mischaracterized and rejected who Leona truly is and what his problems actually are, is attacked by this apathetic attack wrought by Leona’s depression and view that no one truly cares about him. In the end, this entire chorus is one big, very poetic, ‘what’s the use?’ Because everything Leona has tried, has failed.

Even the playful illusions are too dazzling, too bothersome

If I remain insincere as I am

Well, perhaps it's fine after all, I laugh bitterly at that.

Now we’re back to Leona in a more resting, less overblotted state, and it is still pretty bad in terms of mental state. Because at this point, even illusions of what might could be, are too much for him. He writes them all off as bothersome because he’s been hurt enough. Getting his hopes up again would just lead to tragedy. So he resolved to remain insincere and not show how he truly feels. Because if he’s insincere, then isn’t it fine if he’s hated? Isn’t it justified? It’s a bitter thought, as noted within the line ‘I laugh bitterly at that,’ but it’s one that Leona has bought into because he can’t come up with any other conclusion for how to handle this situation. 

It’s here that we clearly see how depressed and self-loathing Leona truly is, and the idea of him being potentially suicidal is a palpable one as, in the first chorus, the final line of ‘If that’s how it is, let it turn to sand’ could also be referring to himself, which is truly horrifying thought that unfortunately aligns with his self-view. Bluntly put, he has a low opinion of himself and thereby, does not really care about his own well-being or future, which is why he doesn’t put any effort in. This is an intensive mental low, to say the least, and shows how serious Leona’s depression really is.

An elusive light, a twisted gaze, are all colored in infallibility.

Even if I list out all the reasons to blame someone

No one cares for the reasons behind, and if that is all I am able to grasp

Let it all crumble to sand.

And here we are at the end of Leona’s song. The light is fading away this time, but it is still elusive, and rather than an unchanging world, we have a twisted gaze. A twisted gaze, that may even be Leona’s as his mood and mental state steadily worsen. Or, perhaps, this twisted gaze is others views of him, since Savanaclaw's and other individual's perceptions of him has been suggested to be rather weighty for Leona due to their inaccuracies. Everything is still colored in infallibility, though, and is thereby deemed correct. The light eludes him, but it is justified in doing so. 

This is followed by Leona mentioning that even if he did list out all the reasons he could blame someone for all this (those who abandoned him, his family, his country, or some other unnamed person) no one would listen. Why would they? He’s hated. Leona no doubt feels like there is no reason he could ever give to make anyone listen. So why bother?

So Leona’s decision is a simple one at this point. If this is all he can grasp and hold onto, then it can all crumble to sand. Because being the hated second prince who’s never given a chance or, even when he is, bungles it and remains perpetually misunderstood, is not worth it. So let it all crumble to sand. 

Okay, so to start things off I’m going to get into some game/text terminology. GGWP, the title of this song, means Good Game, Well Played. This is commonly said at the end of a game that involves teammates/teamwork, sometimes even no matter how the game went. It can be very genuine, very sarcastic, or simply said as a matter of course or habit.  As such, this title clearly reflects Idia’s nature as a gamer but also can reflect his often sarcastic and even mocking behavior at the same time.

Na nanana na-na na nanana

Na nanana na-na na nanana-na

Na nanana na-na na nanana-na

Na nanana na-na na nanana-na

Na nanana na-na na nanana-na

Na nanana na-na na nanana

This song of course starts with a string of na-na’s which can be taken as either childish mockery or just a simple start to a song. However, there is a certain mocking nature to them that is very characteristic of Idia and the way he enjoys getting under other people’s skin despite his social anxiety.

Always keep grinding! Only be positive!

Overthinking is a high-caloric drag.

They bum-rush in and just spam good vibes.

But forcing happy endings only trigger rage-quits.

Someone takes an L each second,

So ain't it all just a waste?

Even if you scream into the void of the cosmos,

You think anyone will care?

Like a game-breaking glitch, I just mask my feels and play nice,

Pretending to be chill, slowly building affection.

No use trying to breach my firewalls, tho….

In this first verse we have Idia speed-talking, as he usually does, and verbally mocking the majority of people he interacts with for their forced positivity while also noting how the way people push their good vibes on everyone only triggers vitriolic reactions from others.  I should note here that ‘taking an L’ means to take a loss. So Idia is basically saying that despite all the good vibes people are forcing on others and putting out, losses are still being taken that they just aren’t acknowledging in an honest way. To a certain degree, Idia is mocking these unnamed people and calling them out as stupid for pushing their good-vibes agenda quite so far since, from Idia’s perspective, it's all hopeless. This is a wonderful indicator of his general pessimistic and largely depressed mentality. He also notes that no matter what you do or how you scream, people aren’t going to care. They’re too busy dealing with their own stuff and pushing their own agenda. But Idia being Idia is also just going to play along and mask everything, including his feelings. After all, he feels overwhelmed by everyone’s behavior and just doesn’t want to deal with any of it. So he’s just going to, in his own words, chill and build affection. He ends this verse on an interesting note, though. He’s building affection gradually (though with who can be debated), but he has high walls that you may as well not try to breach. This is interesting because it means that while he’s going to play nice with you, he’s also going to keep you at arms length which is something that has been hinted at in regard to his character, but never fully disclosed until now.

Sigh…

They just don’t get it.

Now this is an interesting little section, because we can debate about the specific meaning of this line. Is Idia talking about how no one gets that he really does not want to interact with their intense and perhaps even toxic positivity? Or is he perhaps more giving a tired lament about how no one truly understands him? Knowing Idia, I would say that it's a bit of both, but leaning more toward this secondary possible meaning. He does get tired of everyone else’s intensity, but he also has shown numerous times that he truly feels misunderstood by everyone, including his classmates and the people at S.T.Y.X.

I'm too OP,

Just too legendary,

An undead on the cusp of burning to ashes.

Here we have Idia praising himself, which is very characteristic of him, but also rather fair. Idia is deeply intelligent and actually quite powerful when he chooses to be. Even if his self-praise does come across as conceited, it is still quite well-placed since he can actually back up the majority of his boasts. The final line of this section is the one that stands out to me, though. “An undead on the cusp of burning to ashes.” Idia describes himself as ‘undead’ which may be a reference to the fact he survived when Ortho didn’t, and due to this he has intense survivor’s guilt. However, the lyrics note that he’s on the cusp of burning to ashes. It could be that he is simply burning himself out even despite his immense intelligence. After all, all of that knowledge and skill won’t amount to much in the way of keeping himself from becoming overwhelmed. It could also be that Idia is coming dangerously close to overblotting here, and the lyrics are attempting to reflect that. The first verse shows us that he really is disgusted with everything and everyone, which are both precursors for overblots based on what we’ve seen in the game. There’s a third option as well though. The final line of this section might actually be referencing OG!Ortho as an overblot monster. It could be implying that OG!Ortho was hitting the point of even losing the few memories that let him remain Ortho as Idia remembered him and not just an inky monster left behind by overblot.

Our dark past is blasting off,

Come Show

And on all the worthless NPCs out there, we

RAID

This section is almost like a call to arms against the so-called ‘worthless NPCs’ that also discusses letting ‘our’ dark past show, with the ‘our’ and ‘we’ most likely referencing Idia and Ortho. This is a particularly interesting set of a line for an overblot song since it's phrased in such a way that implies Idia is looking at his own dark past that he shares with Ortho, and saying he’s no longer going to be ashamed of it. The part that actually makes this line go with the overblot in a more typical manner is the ‘RAID’ on the worthless NPCs lyric. Idia is essentially stating that no one else measures up to him and Ortho (Or whoever else you interpret as the other member(s) of ‘our’ and ‘we’). Importantly, this is particularly interesting since when Idia overblots in-game it feels almost more like he has been pushed into overblotting by the remaining blot of OG!Ortho and his guilt towards both versions of Ortho. This song, however, shows a slightly different picture which implies that any push he was given did not have to be big, which is actually a theory I support. Bluntly put, Idia was already slipping due to the pressures of his position and life in relation to S.T.Y.X. He really just needed a nudge to go over the edge.

Loot drops, dungeon quests, dailies,

I'm grinding so hard that I got no time to sleep.

While you all are just chillin',

I’m gonna give this world a clean install.

Idia is largely using game terminology here, but what he’s saying is pretty simple. He’s doing everything he can to change and grow while everyone else is doing their own thing. Notably, a ‘clean-install’ involves completely erasing all existing installation, usually an entire operation system, and starting over. So what Idia is saying here, is that he’s wiping everything away and starting over while everyone else is continuing in the same path they’ve always been on. This is particularly nice imagery since the Overblot characters are all suggested to come out of their overblot with a new viewpoint. This line, however, suggests that Idia went into his overblot with a scheme to start over from the get go.

u alwz wnt a new gm. don u?

i kno ur the new gm 4 me

gg well played, gg well played

ez noob lol ur ez noob lol

So this is very, very derogatory towards the audience in positively Idia way. In translation: “You always want something new to play at, but you’re the new game for me. Well played, I guess, but you suck at this.” Idia is largely mocking other people here by saying that while they want something new, they simply can’t measure up to him and he is quite literally playing them.

Fight on! That's the spirit! The power of friendship?

There ain't squads like that IRL.

There's always one boss fight after another,

I'm salty when players can AFK their quests.

Pressure is at max level from all sides,

With vibe-checkers forcing their hype on others.

Who knows how long I'll be stuck in a role I don't even want,

Did your eyes stop working from having to read between all those lines?

This path is a heavy load even for the ultimate underworld class.

A total catastrophe just lurks,

You better laugh while you still can.

And here we have Idia speed-talking again as he complains about other people, mocks them, and even briefly discusses his own plight. Some of this is stuff we’ve already seen in the first verse, with Idia talking about how people try to force their positivity onto others no matter that person’s situation. But here, it is obvious that Idia is talking about his own situation. 

He notes that he walks a difficult path and that others could never manage it. And while this is him writing off everyone else, he isn’t entirely wrong. Idia is unfortunately stuck in his position as heir to S.T.Y.X. no matter how much he dislikes it, and there is no one else to really take his place. He notes that people better laugh while they still can, which sounds like a threat, and in this case, it is. He is about to overblot because he is the total catastrophe lurking. In many ways, he’s a catastrophe made by S.T.Y.X. itself, though. So while they are running well right now, Idia is largely implying they’re going to engineer their own downfall as they persist in their own misguided positivity. But they haven’t even realized it yet, because they haven’t read the obvious signs he has shown ever since he was young.

Sigh…

They just don’t realize.

Got no danger sense,

Just too carefree,

A rampage on the cusp of a breakdown.

This vein of lyrics continues on the same path as just before, with Idia mentioning that people don’t realize how serious their situation is and they’re all too carefree with no sense of danger. The rampage on the cusp of a breakdown most likely refers to himself, though it could also deal with the remains of OG!Ortho. Either way, Idia is essentially burnt-out. He does, of course, have gaming as his coping mechanism, but it can only work for so long and he’s reaching his limit fast. It is worth noting that Idia’s also essentially stating that while the obvious is right in front of everyone (that worst is about to come to worst and he’s going to overblot) no one is even noticing.

All that hype's blasting off,

Come Show

There's no honor in helpin' us, what a

JOKE

Our dark past is blasting off,

Come Show

And on all the worthless NPCs out there, we

RAID

Again, we have a pseudo call to arms, but Idia also notes that there is no honor in helping ‘us’ and that attempting to should amount to a ‘joke.’ He’s fully sequestering himself (and Ortho) away from others here while also continuing to call everyone out and mock his own backstory. He most likely recognizes the pity that his own experience with OG!Ortho’s death would get him, but he doesn’t want that and he doesn’t want others' help either. In fact, he largely appears to view it as others butting in on his personal business and seems to view himself as fully in the wrong even now despite the fact we know OG!Ortho’s death was a complete and total accident.

Nonetheless, the curious thing here is that, depending on the view you take, his words aren’t entirely wrong. It is true that more damage can be done by trying to help Ortho and Idia than can be resolved. Indeed, it was Vil’s words to Ortho that largely triggered the entire overblot situation in the Ignihyde chapter despite the fact no one could have ever predicted that. However, Idia also isn’t entirely accurate in what he’s saying here. Because both he and Ortho did end up getting saved by everyone else when he did overblot.

Limit breaks, login bonuses, epic losses, and rankings,

I keep on pinging my PC like it's my lifeline.

While you all are just partyin',

I’m gonna give every single thing a clean install.

This is essentially a restating of the previous section about speed-running everything in the name of self-improvement while everyone else is just keeping on living their life. It’s worth noting here though that in the previous section that is similar to this one Idia only listed general gaming activities, while in this one he mentions some negative experiences (i.e. epic losses) which show he hasn’t fully lost sight of everything. But it still isn’t all sunshine and rainbows like how he views that way everyone else is treating life.

u alwz wnt a new gm. don u?

i kno ur the new gm 4 me

gg well played

gg well played

Ez noob lol ur ez noob lol.

u alwz wnt a new gm. don u? (Na nanana na-na na nanana-na)

i kno ur the new gm 4 me (Na nanana na-na na nanana-na)

gg well played, gg well played (Na nanana na-na na nanana-na)

ez noob lol ur ez noob lol (Na nanana na-na na nanana)

So first of all, we have the songs name: 蛇と瞬き (Hebi to matataki), which is translated as “Snake and Blink” or “Blinking with the Snake.” Now 蛇と(hebi to) means “snake and” or “snake with.” The ‘snake’ in this title is no doubt Jamil himself as Jamil is a generally snake-coded character in a similar manner to how Jafar was. 瞬き (Matataki) is more interesting though, as it can be translated as “blink (of eyes)” or “twinkling (of stars); flicker (of light); blink (of light).” As such, this song isn’t necessarily referring to just a blinking of one’s eyes, though this does call Jamil’s signature spell’s requirement of eye contact to mind, but might also be referencing a twinkling of stars, flickering of light, or blink of light. However, if we interpret as ‘Snake and Blink’ or ‘Blinking with the Snake’ with blinking/blink being taken to indicate one’s eyes we can apply this to Jamil’s character and how he often hangs back, observing, but with an automatic amount of danger simply due to the snake reference and characterization. Furthermore, blinking/blink may also reference his signature spell which involves eye contact with the victim.

So, lyrically speaking, the song starts out fairly simply with a discussion of Jamil’s general state. The lyrics translate out into something along the lines of:

Gemstones and magic alone cannot bring about my deepest wish

There's never an end to these miserable days

I breathe like I’m gasping for air,

While greed rears its ugly head.

As my desire grows, it just feels too narrow here.

This is a light that won’t ever disappear, an anger that won’t ever wane, 

If it were to be revealed, Ah, ah, ah-

All of this pretty much lines up with what we know about Jamil. He has a million and one wishes, the deepest of which can never be fulfilled no matter the gemstones he has been exposed to or the magic he has. As such, his life is miserable and it's like he’s practically having to gasp for air to survive as he shoves down all of those dreams, but he can’t keep them completely hidden no matter how much he may need to. Notably, these lyrics also imply that, to a certain degree, he may be at least somewhat disgusted by his own dreams (hence the use of the word ‘greed’). This could possibly be because of his relationship with Kalim that stands ever on the line between friends and foes.  Nonetheless, it is quite obvious that Jamil is discouraged from openly pursuing his own dreams, wishes, and even talents lest he overshadow Kalim. Bluntly put, he is a servant and must remain beneath the Al-Asim’s, but also confined to serving Kalim, forever. It’s so bad that even when Jamil goes to school, he can’t escape this situation and his life has begun to feel narrow because he cannot grow beyond his current position due to societal rules.

Finally, in the last lines of the first section, the light that never disappears probably references the power, intellect, talent, and hopes that Jamil has. No matter how much people push and try to shove them down so that the status quo of Jamil’s servant status remains unshaken, those will never fade. But Jamil is mad about the senselessness and unfairness of his situation. In fact, his bitter anger will never wane and, at this point, he just wants to let it all out no matter the cost. This is also a slight call back to the previous one in which he mentions his greed rearing its head out as he gasps for breath. Bluntly put he can’t hide these feelings, or even his innate talents, anymore no matter how ugly or problematic they may be for everyone else. It all comes together and threatens to overwhelm him and, as he starts to overblot, they finally do.

As the shadows dance all around, listen to the incessant voices

To grasp freedom in my hands

As if it were a curse, off to the far reaches we fly

Ah-ah, It’s still not enough

Blinking with the snake.  

The chorus here is probably dealing with Jamil giving into his overblot. Temptations, intrusive thoughts, and the like are often described as ‘voices’ and for Jamil, those thoughts are incessant. The dancing shadows indicate how attractive but dark these thoughts are. However, it's important to remember that when overblotted, it's been indicated that the characters might not fully be themselves. Rather, they seem to be experiencing some form of magically-induced psychotic break that is also something of a power-trip. And for Jamil, who is used to having to always bow and do as he’s told without ever getting recognized for his own virtues and talents, having that amount of power is no doubt intoxicating. So he grasps this newfound freedom, even if it is possibly a curse that will condemn him should Kalim’s family ever learn of it. The line “off to the far reaches we fly” probably indicates breaking free and flying away to the end of it all. Even if that end might be Jamil fully losing himself to the overblot. This might also align with the magic flying carpet which is a recurring theme from both Scarabia and Aladdin. Then finally we have the end “Ah-ah, It’s still not enough. Blinking with the Snake.” And here we have the overblot coming to fruition, because it isn’t enough. The overblot cannot safely be sustained and Jamil is back where he started in a great many ways, still blinking with the snake. Seemingly innocent and unassuming, but ever dangerous. 

The stars are shattered again, and with them, my hope.

Every sliver of hope on a new dawn just gets dragged down each time

I wove together a patchwork illusion over this tasteless reality

But even if I were to overwrite it all, it just feels too dark here

And that future that is all blotted out, but maybe someday this vertigo will clear, 

if it were to ever be destroyed, ah, ah ah-

With a thirst unable to be quenched, my dry throat trembles

One day I’ll tear through this sky, and what I’ll see beyond this….

So here Jamil is post overblot, and he knows that despite the fact he’s gotten through to Kalim, his situation hasn’t really changed. He’s still a servant. He still has no power. And for what probably feels like the thousandth time, his wishes have been destroyed. I would imagine this is likened to the stars here due to how far off his hope probably seems to be to him. However, Jamil refuses to go down silently and starts to live his life in the illusion that he has made for himself where at least at school he has some power and can stand independent of Kalim without comparison. But in the end, it still feels too similar. Nothing has changed. Life is a dark place for him, and the future is still so bleak. And there’s that niggling thought again. If he could just destroy this status quo, perhaps he could quench his thirst for recognition. So he pushes forward, determined to break free of what his current future looks like and see what’s beyond all of this.

As shadows flicker in and out, follow where the scarab leads

To grasp freedom in my hands, I can only pine since it's all a lie

Ah-ah, I just want to know why.

Blinking with the snake.

I would like to start this analysis with a small tidbit. Where the lyrics talk about ‘pledges’ seems to also be a possible translation for ‘contracts,’ so please keep that in mind throughout this analysis. Furthermore, and as an aside, Azul’s song being named “Abyss” is intriguing since that word is not used within the lyrics. With that said though, the name “Abyss” could be a head nod to the fact that, as a merman, Azul is from the abyss-like oceans or that Azul’s emotional and/or mental state as well as his greed in relation to his overblot experience are abysslike or bottomless.

This song interestingly starts out discussing other people’s wishes before jumping over to show us Azul’s thoughts on such things:

“I want to be happy”

“I want the right answers”

Each time yet another desire is granted…

It just makes me want to crush them under my heel,

It makes me want to take it all away.

Just give your poor unfortunate soul (potentially translated as heart) over to me.

So Azul essentially is kind of disgusted by the desires of others and it really makes him look down on said others. Interestingly, this is something we see in game too, though it is usually displayed by Jade and/or Floyd when one or both of them talk about how everyone wants to get something for free and aren’t willing to put in the hard work (I’m fairly certain this is mentioned in the 3rd book which deals with the Octavinelle story/characters). Azul is basically saying that everyone who comes to him looking for what amounts to a get-out-of-jail-free card to life or a given situation should just hand themselves over to him since they aren’t going to put any effort anyway. Notably, these lyrics also, simultaneously, display Azul’s disgust with these people and their implied or indicated lack of willingness to put the effort in to gain success in a more fair manner. As such, one could infer that Azul views any unpleasant backlash from signing a contract with him as a form of karma for those who fail to uphold their end of the deal.

I never want to see that painful past again,

But the more I cry not to let it show,

The more it sears into my mind.

This section is pretty obvious. This is about Azul’s past, and is surprisingly relatable. Pretty much everyone has an unpleasant or embarrassing memory they don’t like to think about but that haunts them anyway at random varying intervals (i.e. when you’re trying to fall asleep and you suddenly remember something embarrassing from your childhood). For Azul, though, these are deeply painful memories that he tries desperately to hide. Based on what we see of his overblot and backstory in-game, these memories most likely have to do with his experience with being bullied. Nonetheless, the more he tries to hide his past and the scars that came with it, the more it burns itself into his mind, making it inescapable. Azul is quite likely often questioning whether he really is all the things his bullies called him (i.e. a silly little octo-twerp), and these things all haunt him.

Again and again, 

I’ll shed my weaknesses, let it go, and dress myself up

I want to be someone stronger than everyone else

I want everything, I want it now, anything and everything

This I pledge so as to paint a perfect picture of myself

Now this section is interesting. The first part is rather inspirational. Azul wants to improve himself and become bigger than his weaknesses by letting them go and dressing to fill his chosen part until he really is someone stronger than everyone else. But past that point in the lyrics, we spiral directly into his overblot where he wants everything. His greed has become immense, and it now goes beyond merely improving himself. In many ways, this is a representation of a toxic level of perfectionism in that Azul is so desperate to perfect himself that he has taken it to mean he must have everything. I think the key here, and to Azul’s overblot, is the note that he wants to be ‘someone stronger than everyone else.’ In Azul’s mind, bettering himself means outdoing others. But somehow, in some way, Azul knows he can’t actually outdo everyone at everything, so he results in taking it all. Be it talents, magic, or anything else. All so he can become his own perfect image of himself. The sad thing is, Azul doesn’t seem to realize that by doing things this way, he loses sight of his own virtues and skills by becoming the very thing he detests. Because he doesn’t actually put any effort in when he does this. Rather, he just cherry-picks what he wants and doesn’t actually develop such skills.

“One day I want that person to love me back”

Whenever there is a desire as sweet as that

Before it can successfully bloom,

It makes me want to pluck it.

Every single person is just a pitiful flower

This section calls Ariel’s wish from “The Little Mermaid” to mind, and what's funny about this section is that it somewhat implies Azul is a bit of a romantic. Which, to be fair, has been somewhat implied before now. However, this verse really just serves to drive the point home Azul looks down on others and, even if their wish is a sweet one, he will pluck it/take it. He’s greedy, and he wants it all. So even if he somewhat admires someone's wish or views it as sweet, he’ll still take it. That’s how far he’s fallen. He wants it all, so darling little wishes like reciprocated love become a weapon for him to use against others.

The past clings to my legs

The more I struggle not to drown,

The more I can’t move at all.

This section is fun because Azul is a merman, and yet the lyrics here talk about drowning. This imagery is very powerful though and rather notable in that, by the time he’s in NRC and overblots, he has gained legs rather than tentacles. However, this too can serve as a weakness. In many ways, this tidbit serves to remind us that Azul has his unfortunate history that haunts him and that he is a merman on land, which puts him at a slight disadvantage in many ways, even though he does not let it hold him back. He’s had to give up some strengths to gain new ones, but that also leads to new weaknesses. This can also be viewed as somewhat indicating part of Azul’s issues. He doesn’t recognize his own talents and notable skills (i.e. the way he perseveres and puts the effort in so that his study guides are flawless and that his contracts are both legal and binding). While he’s busy amassing other’s skills and/or talents, he’s ignoring those that he already has.

With mere illusions,

Their enchanting dreams shine bright deceptively.

Every one of them is mine to devour.

I want more, still even more, as much as possible.

Before my overwhelming might,

If you bend a knee, now, I’ll show mercy,

So pledge yourself to me in supplication.

This is the final section of the song, of course, and unlike the previous chorus it does not have the positive opening lines. Instead, this chorus seems to fully reflect the mentality of an overblotted Azul. He’s fully lost control and does not care what happens anymore, so long as his greed is satisfied. 

So the name of the song, “Red Heart Rage” is a bit fun in and of itself. The phrasing is very close to ‘red hot rage’ which would largely be what one would expect as it has the characteristic link between heat and rage. But the name of Riddle’s song is instead “Red Heart Rage,” which draws the emphasis both to Riddle’s last name, Roseheart, and to the Alice in Wonderland link while still emphasizing the rage aspect, which is a big part of Riddle’s character and overblot.

I'll make sure to cram it all into those empty heads,

So open your mouth wider when you speak.

Recite properly the entire rule to the very end,

Repeat after me, swallow it down, and drink it all in.

Now this is an interesting start to Riddle’s song because it very closely aligns with the Riddle we meet at the very start of the game. He’s uncompromising, and unfairly demanding. He is downright brutal in regard to his rules, which is what is being talked about in these lyrics. However, it is well worth noting that this largely appears to mirror what we know about his mother, Mrs. Rosehearts, as well. Riddle most likely subconsciously modeled his leadership behaviors off of his mother due to viewing her as a powerful individual who was always in control. And, in this way, this is what most set the stage for his overblot since, much like how many other overblot characters became something they detested, desperately did not want to be, or even something feared becoming during their overblots, Riddle came to mirror something he feared most in his life. His mother.

Even if it shatters, I won't stop pounding this gavel,

And yet those fools will never cease,

They keep on dreaming.

Dreaming of a way to escape.

And here we get a display of Riddle’s temper. It is potent and can easily lead him to deeply hurt those around him. Even if a gavel, which should be very sturdy, shatters in his hands he still refuses to stop pounding away and forcing rules down others throats. We also get to see that he largely thinks others are fools for vainly dreaming of escape. He is the limitless ruler here, the housewarden. His rules are law. Interestingly though, the lyrics involving dreaming of a way to escape quite likely also discuss his feelings regarding the tyrant he has lived under his whole life. Namely, his mother. 

Mrs. Rosehearts is inescapable for him. She is his mother and a tyrant in her own right that completely controls him and has largely crushed Riddle under her heel for his entire life. And, bluntly put, even if he doesn’t show it, he’s terrified and has lost all hope of ever truly escaping her. In this way, Riddle’s views regarding the cause of his overblot are similarly apathetic to those shown in Jamil and Leona’s overblot songs.

FREEDOM IS OBEDIENCE

TREPIDATION IS REPOSE

FREEDOM IS OBEDIENCE

KNEEL! KNEEL! KNEEL!

So this is a fun spot to stick to this chorus because we go from the verse talking about how fools dream of being to escape, which can be interpreted as Riddle recognizing that the Heartslabyul vainly yearn for freedom in the same way he did before he gave up on such hopes, to Riddle ‘s overblotted views. 

Here, the only way to be free of the cruel punishments he doles out to those who break the rules is to be obedient. Trepidation, or a feeling of fear or agitation of what is to come should you break said rules, is repose because it keeps you in line. And so long as you are in line, you aren’t getting punished. And to Riddle, that is as close to freedom as he can imagine due to his upbringing. So he demands that people kneel, because it has the best outcome. In many ways, despite being so aggressive, the implications of the chorus are incredibly sad. Because this means that in Riddle’s mind, fear is the closest thing he has to peace and he views both it and obedience as his only chance of surviving life. This also shows exactly how much power Mrs. Rosehearts wields over her son. She’s an ever-present shadow that he is terrified of disobeying even when she isn’t around. It’s no surprise that he overblotted with these malformed views, but can he really be blamed for such views after the abuse he has suffered?

Interestingly, this chorus can also be interpreted as Riddle giving the Heartslabyul students advice on how to survive being under him based on his own experience from surviving living with his mother. Of course, that interpretation also implies that some subconscious part of Riddle realizes how horrible he’s being, which is in and of itself very intriguing.

Bring forth your head, now kneel before me.

Being so weak so as to be trod upon itself is your sin.

Just like when painting everything all in red,

Now, carve these rules into your body and mind,

So you never forget them ever again.

We’re trotting into the territory of lyrics that bring execution and queen of hearts symbolism into the song here. We have what occurs when you kneel. You lower your head, but that automatically puts you at risk for losing your head because you’ve exposed your neck. Riddle continues though, asserting that being weak is a sin in and of itself. Now, this can be linked to when Riddle mocked Prefect/Yuu for being magicless, but this could have another meaning as well. It could be that Riddle is stating that being so weak as to think you can get away with breaking the rules only to get caught red-handed is a sin in and of itself. This sort of mirrors the karmic way Azul is implied to view people not upholding their end of a contracted deal with him. It is also important to note here that Riddle has been very much implied to think very highly of all that he has achieved in terms of magical power and prowess despite his young age.  And that is fair, he has achieved a lot. What’s funny though, is that his peers (with special respect to the 2nd years in particular) have also achieved some very impressive things and they are the same age as him. It’s possible that part of Riddle’s grasping for control that led to the situation we see in the Heartslabyul book is because he is recognizing that he isn’t as uniquely special and powerful as he thought. There are others that have achieved impressive feats that are the same age as him.

Either way, Riddle demands that the listener carve the rules into their body and mind so they won’t forget them again. This could suggest that, via punishment, the rules will be carved into a person so that they never make the same mistake. And, bluntly put, that’s probably how Riddle views it. After all he, Trey, and Trey’s family are suggested to have never forgotten when Mrs. Rosehearts discovered young Riddle breaking her arbitrary rules.

FREEDOM IS OBEDIENCE

TREPIDATION IS REPOSE

In a twisted sort of way, enforcing his rules and demanding people learn them may be Riddle’s own way of protecting the people he feels are under his rule and thus under his protection. If they mess up and break the rules, there will be punishment, but if they know the rules and fear that punishment, then no punishment will ever need to come because they will be less likely to break said rules. His actions however, lead him to becoming as bad as his mother when it comes to rules as shown when he overblots.

If it still isn't clear, I'll make you understand,

So don’t twiddle your fingers.

Now this part is really interesting, because it implies that even Riddle at his most insane/overblotted still recognizes that people sometimes need explanation. He offers to make them understand so they better pay attention and not just stand around doing nothing. Rather than coming across as benevolent or caring though, this comes across as a threat due to the punishments Riddle so freely doles out as soon as he loses his temper. And Riddle losing his temper is so often linked to rules being broken.

Foolish disobedience will receive the judgement it deserves,

I’ll make everything seep into your mind without fail.

And here we have Riddle’s way of making people understand even if they don’t understand. Disobey foolishly, and he’ll teach you again. As many times as it takes. You’ll receive the judgement he feels you deserve. The only thing is that the punishment for breaking the rules is almost always extreme because that is what Riddle knows from his childhood. And so, we have the birth of a new tyrant.

Once childish curiosity has eroded away,

No matter what sort of comforting words are spoken,

It won’t ever reach.

This section seems to be more about Riddle than anyone else. He largely ended up breaking his mother’s excessive rules due to curiosity that he now deems childish. The lyrics assert here that no comforting words could ever reach beyond the trauma inflicted by what he experienced when those rules were broken though. Riddle himself became deeply injured and nothing anyone has said could reach him. Which leads up to the chorus again.

FREEDOM IS OBEDIENCE

TREPIDATION IS REPOSE

FREEDOM IS OBEDIENCE

KNEEL! KNEEL! KNEEL!

Bring forth your head, now kneel before me.

Being so weak so as to be trod upon itself is your sin.

Off with their heads, every last one of them.

Not knowing how correct I am is your sin.

Stay obedient, as if in fear.

Now, recite all the rules you've memorized,

These absolute rules.

FREEDOM IS OBEDIENCE

TREPIDATION IS REPOSE

This is largely a repetition of past words save for one important section: “Off with their heads, every last one of them. Not knowing how correct I am is your sin. Stay obedient, as if in fear. Now, recite all the rules you've memorized, These absolute rules.” So we have Riddle enforcing his rules on everyone and informing them that their sin is not recognizing that he is correct. Now, this is somewhat conceited of him in a way that goes with pretty much every overblot character. They, and Riddle along with the rest of them, all assume that they are correct and everyone else is wrong. Which, bluntly put, is incorrect. Just like with so many other things in life, there is no cookie-cutter situation where a person is going to always be right and everyone else wrong. But this lyric is nice in that it shows how clear-cut Riddle’s overblot is. In many ways, Riddle’s backstory  and how it led to him overblotting is the easiest to understand among the overblot characters and the fact his song reflects his songs lyrics is quite nice. 

It’s worth noting here, at the very start of all this, that crépuscule is French for ‘dusk’ or ‘twilight.’ With dusk and/or twilight of course being the time between sunset and nightfall. Symbolically it can be understood as indicating transitions, a beginning, or an ending. Importantly, twilight and/or dusk are also often treated as a time where the boundaries between worlds can blur as well as being a time that can indicate a certain sense of melancholy and/or nostalgia. The fact that Vil’s song name is a time of day that is viewed as a period during which the boundaries between worlds can blur paired with his Snow White-based connection to the magic mirror which, within the world of Twisted Wonderland allows people to cross between places, is particularly intriguing. Especially considering that the Prefect/Yuu themselves came from another world through inexplicable means. However, whether Vil having his character song be named this way may or may not indicate anything regarding the future story.

Of all the things I could ever want,

There's only ever been one thing

Yet he always claims that seat.

I am the most suited for it,

It’s where I should be instead.

So the start of this song is obviously discussing how Vil truly wants only one thing but can’t get it because of one, singular, person. Neige. In Vil’s eyes, he ought to be deemed the most beautiful. He’s worked hard for that position, he has the skill and talents, but he never gets it. Instead, Neige does.This is a clear reflection of Vil’s situation with typecasting. Much like with the roles for heroes or protagonists, he always gets passed over for largely senseless reasons which are discussed in his Overblot flashback sequence where some folks literally describe him as ‘too perfect’ and even ‘unrelatable.’ I’ve written an entire analysis on how it's very interesting that Twisted Wonderland chose to show this negative side of talent via not just Vil, but all of the overblot guys so I won’t exhaust the point. In short, Vil’s talent and beauty are, of course, strengths, but they are also weaknesses due to the way talent is sometimes viewed as making someone a little more than what be perceived as normal and thereby unrelatable as well as someone to avoid.

When the world speaks of beauty,

Say those words only for me.

Instead of him, who only flashes a pretty smile,

Give it to me, who has persevered through everything.

But if this wish cannot come true,

Then let everything

All dissolve into ugliness.

So here Vil is headed directly into his overblot. But the phrasing here is interesting. Rather than showing the incredible rage one would expect, the phrasing is softer. Still demanding, but there is a certain sorrow in his voice. Like he’s hurt that it has hit this point. That he’s even having to ask this. Because sure, Neige is charming, but hasn’t Vil worked harder than him? The interesting thing here is that despite how Vil emphasizes the effort and perseverance he has shown, he mentions within the Ignihyde section of the Twisted Wonderland main story that Neige has persevered in his own way as well, indicating there is more depth to this interaction between the two of them then mere hatred. This could be a reason for the title of this song. Since twilight/dusk are often used to evoke a sense of melancholy, it could be indicating that Vil himself isn’t actually filled with just rage towards Neige. Instead, Vil may actually be rather saddened by the situation since both he and Neige have put in the effort, but there is no way both can win. At least not with the way things have panned out thus far.

It is worth noting that at the end of this section of the song, Vil is fully prepped for overblotting. Bluntly put, if he cannot have this singular wish, then it's not worth it. All this beauty he has strived for and built up can just dissolve away into ugliness. These lines in particular directly callback to Vil’s overblot scene (pre-transformation) where he is all but screaming for people to look away from him  because he’s realized what he’s done (i.e. almost poisoning Neige) and that he has become the villain he is type-cast as and has truly become hideous. This is of course a very extreme notion, but this same level of extremity can be seen in all of the overblots.

Shine bright,

Pierce through everything,

With a beauty that freezes all.

A small flower (If he were to ever―)

Never awakening (―Fall into a slumber).

Here we have Vil building himself back, and the lyrics really are rather inspirational in many ways. It’s basically saying that Vil will shine bright and pierce through everything, even the things that are currently in his way, with a beauty that freezes everything. This is followed directly by him likening another man, most likely Neige, to a small flower that will never awaken and has fallen into an eternal slumber. 

This could very well be Vil’s thought process when he’s plotting to poison Neige, but again, this is interesting. It does not have the rage one would expect from someone who hates Neige as much as Vil is implied to. In fact, Vil likening Neige to a flower and himself to a freezing beauty indicates that he recognizes that Neige is beautiful in his own right. Indeed, both ice and flowers are beautiful, but one is more commonly welcomed while the other is gazed at from afar. And is that not how Neige and Vil are treated? Both beautiful, talented men, but one is approachable and ‘relatable’ enough to be the hero while the other is deemed ‘too special’ and daunting so obviously he must be the villain.

When the world speaks of me,

Say I'm the beautiful one.

Before everything eventually fades away,

I'll burn as bright as my soul allows me.

After the curtain falls,

Look at me,

Only look at me forever more.

And here we have it again. Vil asking to be recognized as beautiful. The truly beautiful one. Not Neige. Him. He wants to be chosen over Neige. Something that has been reflected several times within his story whenever Neige does put in an appearance.

Notably, the section involving the lines “Before everything eventually fades away, I'll burn as bright as my soul allows me” is particularly interesting. It almost indicates, in a way similar to Jamil’s, that Vil recognizes that overblotting is truly dangerous and cannot be sustained. But, rather than backing away from that risk the way Jamil does, this lyric implies that Vil is going to embrace those final moments and ‘burn as bright as his soul allows.’ The fact that this is followed by a discussion of the curtain falling almost makes me wonder if Vil is accepting his defeat here, but still refusing to surrender. Like he knows he can’t win, because when does the villain ever best the hero? But, even though he knows that, he is still determined to lose on his own terms and blaze brightly until the very end. Then, of course, Vil ends this section with the final request to be looked at over Neige. His curtain call may have come, and he isn’t the winner, but he still wants to picked over Neige.

Mirror, mirror, whisper to me,

The name of the fairest one of all.