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( canon and character info )
 | •HOUSEKI NO KUNI•
Houseki no Kuni is certainly an odd canon. There's a lot of setting info to take in, between the character's odd species to the dystopian world in which they live. I'll try to break this down piece by piece but be warned -- it's a wild ride.
The premise of Houseki no Kuni is simple on its face (or at least it starts out that way), while the actual mechanics are a little complex. The setting takes place in a future where humanity has already gone extinct. Six meteor strikes hit Earth, wiping out the population and a majority of all animal species. All that's left is the vast ocean and a small strip of land. The main characters in this series are semi-anthropomorphic gems. Made entirely of the rock from which they're named, these gems are sentient beings with a humanoid appearance. According to canon lore, the gems rose from pockets of humans who fled to the sea, only to crystalize and re-emerge on land. There are a lot of "rules" to the gem species -- while they look 80% human, they are certainly a unique species that don't function at all like we do: Gems aren't the only species found in Houseki no Kuni, though. The main conflict of the series is that the gems have to protect themselves and their land from Lunarians (tsukijin) -- a species of spirit-like creatures that come to Earth from the moon, hoping to capture gem shards to take home. The gems must fight them in order to keep themselves and their gem siblings safe, and sometimes it's possible that gems that have been abducted can be recovered via shards the Lunarians carry. Another species is Admirabilis, jellyfish-like creatures that live in the ocean and do have sex and gender constructs. While most animals have died out, there are some living things that can be found on land. There is grass and some foliage, snails and some insects, berries and flowers, herbs and shrubs. The land that is present goes through seasons and has a variety of topography, from a swamp to a forest area. There are multiple beaches with crags and caves -- gems may not be able to recognize an animal like a cat or a dog, but they do have a very basic yet varied ecosystem. When it comes to technology, the gems aren't all that advanced. Instead of electricity, they use jellyfish as lighting. They are self-sufficient, making their own "medical" supplies, textiles, clothing and other items like weapons. Finally, gems do have a pretty intimate culture despite being immortal. While there is of course a melancholy that happens when a gem is "destroyed" or abducted, grief certainly isn't the word for it (though you could say Phos does experience grief and guilt when he's responsible for a gem abduction). The gems typically see each other as family, "brothers," that should look out for each other. There's not a lot of open dislike -- they squabble and bicker like childish siblings, but they do care for each other. They also revere their senior gem, Adamant-sensei, for the most part. |  |
| •CINNABAR I•
In Houseki no Kuni, it's at first a standard that Phosphophyllite is the softest gem. He shatters easily, is useless at fighting because of it and is essentially unhelpful in most other scenarios. However, the truth of the matter is that of the revealed gems Phos isn't actually the softest -- Cinnabar is.
Cinnabar comes in at a 2 on the Mohs scale in reality, and in canon he's also the most fragile gem there is. The contrast between he and Phos, however, is that Cinnabar is actually an incredibly skilled fighter. Part of his ability to destroy Lunarians comes from a unique ability that Cinnabar has to produce a silvery, inky poison (likely Mercury) that comes from within their body that harms anything it touches -- including other gems. While useful in saving gems from Lunarians, his poison also taints gems like Phos, removing his powder and eating away at his gem form. Because of this ability, Cinnabar excludes himself from the others in order to protect them from his sometimes uncontrollable oozing. When Phos goes to visit Cinnabar's room next to Benitoite, the inside can be seen dripping with his poison, long after he's been gone. Due to his secretions, Cinnabar usually resides in Hallow Cape, a cave near the beach, in order to isolate himself and protect others. In order to be useful in some capacity while still being isolated to protect the other gems, Cinnabar came up with a duty for himself -- night patrol. Most gems have less energy at night, but Cinnabar doesn't exactly mind. Roaming the island at night is something that he can do that doesn't bother others or put them in danger. Cinnabar eventually reveals to Phos that the reason he's night patrolling is that he hopes one day the Lunarians will abduct him so maybe he can be of some use on the moon. However, the Lunarians only show up when Phos is around (due to his desirable green hue) and Cinnabar has never actually been approached by them when alone. Instead of sacrificing himself and Phos, he defends his fellow gem, dedicated to being the only person that they take for the good of others. | |
| •CINNABAR II•
Despite Cinnabar's isolation, he does have a large desire to be a part of something bigger and more useful while still with the gems. Cinnabar envies someone beloved by all, including the Lunarians, which defines Phos -- perhaps a little annoying, but personable and desirable to the enemies. Cinnabar is included in this grouping of people, actually hopeful that Phos will succeed in finding him a job as he promised.
This relationship is interesting in that it's based on a symbiotic need to belong. Both consider themselves useless to others, but both also find the other useful. Phos is envious of Cinnabar's ability to fight despite his softness, and Cinnabar is envious of Phos' popularity and hopes that he can be useful to him through finding him a place in society. Cinnabar also acts as something of a confidant to Phos. Phos develops suspicions that their "leader," Adamant-sensei isn't being totally honest with the gems about their history and humanity. Cinnabar is perhaps someone who shares these sentiments -- when Phos explains his doubt to Cinnabar, he doesn't confirm he's also suspicious but instead that he's "observing" and is on the fence. This is definitely a contrast from the norm of following Adamant-sensei's word at face value. This falls in line with Cinnabar being observant. Because he's alone most of the time and spends all of his time in nature, he's originally an asset to Phos in his creation of an encyclopedia. He knows about the creatures that live on their land, how many different types of sand there are in certain locations. When you have potentially thousands of years to sit alone with your thoughts, you notice things like this pretty easily after a while. Cinnabar is also friendly with Diamond -- or, more accurately, Diamond is friendly with him. Cinnabar likes to keep his positivity sheltered and his expectations low as to not get dissapointed. He understands his reality, wants something more but doesn't want to get too invested in this possibility. Diamond, however, sees through Cinnabar's words easily and knows what he truly wants. Their connection may be because they were born during the same year, perhaps even at the same time. | |
| •STATISTICS•
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