The Other World
The Other World, as distinct from "Earth", is the place Chiaki found herself after her fall. It is also called the "Lilimverse."[1] Fans sometimes refer to this world as "Lilim world". This world is the primary setting of My Impossible Soulmate and Save the Princess. The setting of the fictional manga Black Wings Kaminari is based on this world. There is more variation in natural hair and eye colors compared to Earth.[2] Clothing in this world uses similar materials and styles as Earth clothing.[3] Interestingly, some characters' names sound Japanese to Chiaki, such as Nagisa, Eiji, and Kaminari.[4]
In Black Wings Kaminari
While it is not explicitly stated that this world inspired the setting of Black Wings Kaminari, that world and The Other World share many similarities, such as:
- The author of Black Wings Kaminari is called Chiaki Koizumi, the same name as the Chiaki Koizumi who fell into The Other World in the year 2000.[5][6]
- Both Black Wings Kaminari and The Other World feature Princess Kaminari, Nagisa, and her story of almost being killed at birth.[7][8][9]
- Rei, a member of Kaminari's team, is also in The Other World.[7][10]
- Nagisa is featured on the cover of Chiaki Koizumi's 2019 manga, The Second Prophet.[11]
- Black Wings Kaminari and The Other World both have the prophet Lilith.[12][11][13]
- The Other World and Black Wings Kaminari both mention Lilim.[11][9]
Language
Speaking
Little is known about the spoken language in the Other World. For as-yet unknown reasons, Chiaki and Rhys understand people when spoken to, and people understand them.[6][14] It is highly probable that there is some magical intervention at play to help unbounds communicate with others, considering that everyone else could understand Chiaki and Rhys, despite the two not speaking the same language. Chiaki speaks Japanese on Earth,[15] and Rhys would likely speak English since he is from the United States.[16] Additionally, it is unlikely that Rhys knows how to speak Japanese, considering that he does not know how to read the language.[17]
Writing
During her time in this world, Chiaki has been shown to write Japanese, a language the denizens of this world do not typically know how to read.[18][17] The written language native to Rose Kingdom consists of runes. The formation of the rune characters themselves is fairly simple: Jocelyn has said that she writes the text in English and applies a font called "Myfontrunes".[19][20] Punctuation is usually left as-is, and lowercase characters are converted to their uppercase variants.
The runic character translations are as follows:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
For example, the phrase "Oh, sure. Now they realize", in runes, would be written as follows: , . .[17]
Currency
The local currency, at least in Rose Kingdom, is called "Lim" (). Before appearing in canon, the name was coined on the Official Rainverse Discord Server, intended to sound like a fictional JRPG currency.[21]
Time
Time seems to flow at the usual rate in this world compared to Earth, at least as far as Chiaki is aware, though the calendar dates between the worlds are not aligned. For example, a September Friday in Japan might be a Saturday in July in this world.[22][23] The discrepancy may be due in part to the mechanism that allows Chiaki to understand this world's verbal language translating the local calendar jargon to a familiar equivalent for Chiaki, without preserving meaningful calendrical equivalence, leading to some information loss.[Citation needed]
Age of Lilim
The Age of Lilim refers to the present era in this world. Its use is analogous to "AD" or Anno Domini in the phrase "2023 AD",[24] though the precise meaning of the phrase is unknown. The Age of Lilim began roughly 3,000 years prior to Chiaki's arrival in this world.[25] The origin of the expression likely has to do with Lilith or Lilim.
Magic
The magic of the Other World revolves around seven elemental "alignments".[26] A person's alignment is randomly assigned, and cannot be guessed or controlled (such as the date of birth, location, genetics, or the parents' alignments).[27] The seven magic alignments are:
- Fire
- Water
- Earth
- Wind
- Frost
- Light
- Spirit
Of the magic alignments, Spirit is the most versatile, and the most rare.[28][27]
There is teleportation in this world, but this has not been elaborated on (yet).[29]
There is also transformation magic in this world. Transitioning is usually done by consuming a vial on a periodic basis, slowly transforming the person. These vials can cause a myriad of changes, possibly changing eye color, type of demi-human, and taste buds.[30] There exists a cursed choker that can swiftly change one's sex every 9 AM and 9 PM, but quick transformation can leave an exhausting toll on the body.[31]
Transformation magic was coined by the Reborn Lilim Phoebe, a trans woman who was dissatisfied with presenting as male. She spent two decades inventing a transformation spell, then gave out that knowledge for free to everyone. At least three years before Chiaki's arrival to this world, transformation magic can harm or kill people who used it incorrectly.[32]
Starseers
A Starseer can identify a person's alignment, and optionally "seal" their magic to prevent accidental use. This usually happens soon after birth. Sealing and unsealing is an inexpensive[33] operation that may be performed at any time in a person's life.[26] Demons lose their ability to use magic and activate manually-triggered stamps.[34]
Stamps
Stamps are a externalized version of a magic alignment, currently only seen attached to items. This is the main mechanism behind much of the technology of this world, allowing them to recreate filtration systems, cooling, heating, lighting, and healing. They are used by people of another alignment, allowing them to somewhat use magic of all alignments.[35] Stamps of one alignment can be created by people with that alignment,[35][36] seemingly with ease.
Species
The humans of this world have various features that suggest a variety of subspecies categories, broadly referred to as "holo-humans" and "demi-humans". There is little known about the history of these subspecies, only that they are all considered "human".[37]
Holo-humans
Holo-humans are humans with no "animalistic" qualities.[37][38]
Demi-humans
Demi-humans are humans or demons with some "animalistic" features.[37] There are currently seven planned demi-human subspecies.[39] The currently known ones are:
- Skyfolk: (pl. skyfolk) Humans with wings; usually white, though sometimes black.[40] Black-winged skyfolk were ritualistically killed due to a superstition,[8][41] until about a decade before Chiaki arrived in this world.[9] Interestingly, there is one mention of a skyfolk with both black and white wings.[42]
- Nereid: (pl. nereids) They typically have blue skin and fin-like ears. They have the ability to breathe both underwater and on land, and their bodies can adapt to their environment by morphing their lower bodies into legs or a tail depending if they're underwater or on land for an extended period of time.[40]
- Kitsune: (pl. kitsune) They have fox-like ears and a tail.[40] Their ears have heightened sensitivity,[43] and their expressive tail can easily give away how they're feeling.[44][45]
- Bastet: (pl. bastet) They have cat-like ears and a tail.[40]
- Hybrid: (pl. hybrids) Not much is currently known about them, but they are a type of demi-human.[46] The only currently known hybrid shown is Arc, who has gray skin and white hair. They are shown to be very physically resilient,[47] which has been implied before.[48][49] Characters in Bleak Divinity that have similar skin and hair pigmentation are described as "evolved humans", possessing both superhuman strength and a strengtened immune system.[50]
Demons
Demons are former humans[51][52] with extreme physical strength with a slightly longer lifespan (approximately 140 years). However, demons can no longer use magic, nor can they activate stamps that are manually triggered, such as lamps. Over the past 3000 years, there has been no documented instance of a demon transitioning back into a human.[34]
No one is born a demon;[51] instead, a human must be corrupted. Corruption involves carving a demonic name into the victim, turning them into a demon. If they survive the excruciating pain after this, they can no longer use or answer to their former name or any derivatives, as doing so may kill them.[34] They may use a nickname of their demonic name,[38][53] though it is unstated if they can opt to use another name not related to their former or demonic name.[54]
Corruption can negatively affect demi-human structures such as wings, though they may remain functional.[49]
When a demon directly kills a human,[55] their eyes slightly shift in color and crackle. The more they kill, the more discolored and crackled their eyes become.[56] The kill may still count even if it is unintentional or in self-defense.[57][58]
The Great Demon Lord, Eligos was a demon,[51] though little is known about him beyond the title.
Trivia
- The idea of Hybrids, name and all, came from Bleak Divinity.[Citation needed]
References
- ↑ Rainbow: Dragon Rain 1: Dragon HRT
- ↑ Comment on Comic Fury, archived from the original on 4 June 2024
- ↑ MIS: 103: Settling In
- ↑ MIS: 105: Names
- ↑ Rain: 157: Creator
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 MIS: 6: Transfer Student
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Rain: 619: Black Wings Kaminari
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 MIS: 27: Black Wings
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 MIS: 28: Amnesia
- ↑ MIS: 58: A Little Scared
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Rain: 1345: Lore Dump
- ↑ Rain: 1208: Deep and Convoluted
- ↑ MIS: 49: Storage
- ↑ MIS: 11: Bag#Author Notes
- ↑ MIS: 11: Bag#Japanese
- ↑ Rhys Nevins#Character Description
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 MIS: 134: Meanwhile
- ↑ MIS: 9: I Fell
- ↑ MIS: 49: Storage#Author Notes
- ↑ Comment under MIS: 35: Breakfast, archived from the original on 25 April 2024
- ↑ MIS: 159: Are You Okay?
- ↑ MIS: 94: Schedule
- ↑ MIS: 108: Egg#Author Notes
- ↑ MIS: 22: Tour#Author Notes
- ↑ MIS: 22: Tour#3000-years
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 MIS: 40: Magic
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 MIS: Tangent Episode 2 - The Wheel of Alignment#Author Notes
- ↑ MIS: 51: The Vault
- ↑ MIS: 17: Unbound
- ↑ MIS: 118: Vials
- ↑ MIS: 119: Curse
- ↑ MIS: 151: The Reborn Lilim
- ↑ MIS: 44: Expensive?
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 MIS: 53: Corruption
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 MIS: 41: Stamps
- ↑ MIS: 99: Leftovers
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 MIS: 62: Odd#Author Notes
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 MIS: 89: Different
- ↑ Comment under 38: Demi-humans, archived from the original on 13 July 2024
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 40.3 MIS: 38: Demi-humans
- ↑ Black Wings Kaminari#Plot
- ↑ Rain: 745: Trailer
- ↑ MIS: 67: Wind Magic, part 2
- ↑ MIS: 140: Special People
- ↑ Keegan#Character Description
- ↑ MIS: 84: Sneeze#Author Notes
- ↑ MIS: 171: Conversation
- ↑ MIS: 166: Travel Plans
- ↑ 49.0 49.1 MIS: 167: Glow
- ↑ OCSC Complete Guestlist, archived from the original on 22 June 2024
- ↑ 51.0 51.1 51.2 MIS: 39: Plate
- ↑ Commenet under 53: Corruption, archived from the original on 25 April 2024
- ↑ Comment on Comic Fury, archived from the original on 4 June 2024
- ↑ Comment on Comic Fury, archived from the original on 4 June 2024
- ↑ Comment under Demon Eyes, archived from the original on 22 June 2024
- ↑ MIS: 158: Demon Eyes
- ↑ Comment under Demon Eyes, archived from the original on 22 June 2024
- ↑ Comment under Demon Eyes, archived from the original on 22 June 2024