#rahwia

First things first AAAAA THEY REMADE THE MV, MADE A NEW INSTRUMENTAL, AND KANON69 RECORDED IT DIFFERENTLY FROM HIS PREVIOUS SELF-COVER!! It's great to see scenes such as Rosetta helping Chelsea with her accessories, more snippets of the staff of the Bar Masquerade (A clear shot of Lilian and Kevin!! Aylmer just behind both the Royal Scandal logo and Sven!! ROSETTAAAAAAA!!! Aylmer was there carrying Chelsea's dress!!! We get to see a conductor guiding the orchestra and a brief look at another songstress too~), and just generally seeing the MV in the art style RAHWIA currently has in her artworks. I'm also just realizing that both Rosetta and Lilian have diamond earrings! Or at least, are wearing a diamond earring on their left ears. I'm not sure if they're from the same pair because Lilian's is blue and and Rosetta's is yellow, but it does make me wonder if Lilian herself had worn them and had been affected by the curse at some point...

I don't know why I didn't expect that Chelsea would change over time, of course she wouldn't be the exact same innocent girl that we saw her grow out of being. She became famous and her looks definitely show a more "sexy", arrogant, and conceited side to her over time. The accompanying story also confirming that alongside the fact that she got "bored" hits so hard- and when the new story specifically states she's choosing "love over dreams" and Lewis choosing the opposite, "dreams over love"? It made me think that Chelsea is truly Lorena's daughter, though Lorena in the original timeline had picked her dreams instead of love...

I'm surprised that there's a few lyric changes here and there though! Probably the most significant one that most people have noticed is definitely "Ah, don't stop loving me" turning into "Don't stop to love me". It feels especially more significant in the scene where Lewis puts a blanket over a sleeping, puffy-eyed Chelsea. Somehow in this version rather than seeming like someone who'd just play with feelings, the way his expression was drawn made me think that he was looking over gently, with the red coloring his white shirt being part of Chelsea's hazy mind already placing dreams over reality- but it also makes me think it represents his love for her! (And if I recall correctly, the reason he doesn't pursue her is because of the key showing him the future... Lewis.....)

AND THEN THE VERY LAST PART!! At first I was thinking omg it's the silhouettes of the cursed items but then!! After watching it several times (and still rewatching it as I type all this), I realized it's actually references to the Royal Scandal songs! It really makes this fitting as Episode 0~

WHAT ARE YOUUUUUUUUU?!

I wasn't sure what the translucent object was though. At first I was thinking maybe it's the spotlight that fell in REVOLVER? But it also looks like a spade symbol attached to a band, or a ribbon... or maybe a decoration atop translucent cloth? With the debris around it, it could also represent the aftermath of Alam on the floor after Olivia escaped in Beast in the Beauty.... the boat right beside it is definitely Mermaid Theater though!

AND CLOSING IT OUT WITH SILHOUETTES OF THE BAR MASQUERADE PEOPLE AND THE TOP OF A CLOCK SHOWING XII AAAAAAAAAA and right in front of closed curtains! It feels like such a fitting way to end Episode 0 aaaaaaaaaa

Now I feel more certain of some timeline aspects though, since Rosetta is in her outfit as a songstress this means REVOLVER (and by extension BULLET) is before this song, with Queen of Hearts possibly being right after Cherry Hunt (it could also be before though, since it's a dream sequence), and Bitter Sweet (and by extension Mermaid Theater) would be some time after Cherry Hunt! Since Chelsea already had her sad gaze of longing during Bitter Sweet.... ; v ;