Edits: formatting issues fixed
In defense of Shiyu, âthe jiangshi with a soulâ(much to his own detriment.) đ
Listen. I'm a sucker for a good villain. And I'm an even bigger sucker for a bad villain.
And I know Shiyu did bad things and isn't everyone's cup of tea.
I'll admit that even I was on the fence as to which Shiyu would be to the point that his character was almost ruined for me. Which I was super bummed about because I absolutely loved him and the way his voice actor nailed his vibes.
Absolute perfection! Kudos to Jun Fukuyama on bringing this character to life in such a way that I feel compelled to practically do a character study on him đ
Understandably, Iâve seen a lot of comments about how Shiyu is chaotic, inconsistent and just plain âunlikableâ, especially in the secret route in which everything is revealed.
At first, I agreed. Because I, too, fell for his charms, only to feel heartbroken that he was in truth a villain working against FMC. Still, he appealed to me as the âmischievous villainâ type with his Loki-like vibes. Before long, however, I joined the masses in feeling totally confused and disillusioned by his contradictory actions for most of the final routeâŠ
But then I really paid attention to that final scene in the throne room and now I have brainworms that I can't let go of, so now I'm going to inflict them on the world.
You're welcome.
Let's get into it!
Now maybe Iâm crazy for putting this much time, thought and love into a random fictional villain but I feel Shiyuâs been terribly misunderstood. Yes, yes you've heard that before. But hear me out.
I think it was so easy to get used to his devil-may-care, cheeky attitude which made him seem detached and uncaring (a tactic commonly used by those who see and care far, far too much btw) that everyone just dismissed the fact that he was actually speaking very seriously here.
Hereâs my thoughts:
The moment Shiyu announces heâs going to âredo introductionsâ, he sits in the throne and from that moment forward, starts spitting truths. I donât think he tells a single lie here. I don't even think he exaggerates a single word he says from here forward.
First, he starts by revealing his true identity and name. Something powerful and precious that no one else knew because this was kept hidden even in life due to the cutthroat nature of the politics in this world. Politics he became victim to at just 17 years. He even OPENS HIS EYES (something Iâd been waiting for the entire game, I nearly fell off my bed here) and drops the cheery tone.
The mask drops, the persona âShiyuâ falls away for a moment. But even when he picks it back up it just seems reflexive. Almost like self-defense.
Letâs break it down. He tells Uro/Yoki:
â...That makes you two my twin nephews! Though I was long dead when ya got around to being born. Itâs a real shame, yâknow! I woulda loved to have my turn doting on ya both as your uncle.â â He means this. I believe he is genuinely angry this opportunity was ripped away from them but knows and has accepted the tragedy that there is no way to change it at this point.
Hereâs the thing, I think despite his rage and determination to do evil in the name of his revenge, Shiyu may have been one of the biggest empaths in this entire game. And this empathy only deepened his rage.
This is where many people rightly point out that he should have had more empathy for Uroâs situation due to their similar histories- their brothers turning on them and committing murder for the sake of power. At first blush, his actions donât make sense, and understandably many felt confused and put off by his decision because it seemed counterintuitive for him to take Yokiâs side. But he actually directly addresses and explains this, I just donât think people truly understood what he was saying or why.
Bear with me hereâŠ
When he explains how he was killed at just 17 years by his brother, inspiring his desire for revenge, he takes the opportunity to juxtapose his experience with Uroâs, acknowledging the similarities:
âLuojin killed me at the tender age of 17 for the same reason Yokiâs got it out for ya.â (Notice he is speaking to Uro here).
âI held a grudge, became a jiangshi, and waited for my chance to get revenge.â
And then the next line is important because itâs a third person observation by Shunlin who notes:
âShiyu went on with his story and only spared a glance at Yoki, whoâd been rendered speechless.â
So Yoki was also unaware of these truths, yet it is not Yoki whom Shiyu is addressing at this moment.
Isnât that strange? Heâs not speaking to his âallyâ, instead heâs speaking to Uro. And they even mention how Uro appears shaken by this. (I would have loved to have my turn doting on you both).
This isnât just a confession. This is a regret revenge couldnât fix.
The next line explains what I believe to be the core of Shiyuâs âinexplicableâ actions.
âI got Yoki on board too. Couldnât bear to leave him alone, yâsee.â âAgain, this is Shiyuâs confession. He really means this. He saw the suffering, the abuse both physical and mental, the isolation of being locked in his room. He knew despite how each turned out, regardless of right or wrong, Yoki was the one who had suffered most. I think Shiyu saw the extent of Yoki's anguish, all caused by the same tyrant, and felt his empathy drawn to the lonely boy in a cage rather than âthe golden boyâ as Shiyu puts it.
Remember when he told Uro in the Forest of Chiming Souls how he wished he (Uro) was the one sitting on the throne? Then goes on to tell Yoki who shows up that he âdoesn't like how he does thingsâ?
He means everything he says here. Donât let the cheery guise fool you. He knows what Yoki is. He knows Uro is the better choice. So why support him?
Back to the confession in the throne room:
âI bet he (Yoki) never wouldâve gotten so twisted if Luojin wasnât king.â (I couldnât bear to leave him alone, yâsee.)
If Daoming (Shiyuâs real name) had survived and become king, both nephews likely could have grown to have a healthy relationship that wasn't so competitive and he could have mitigated the negative effects of their awful father by claiming his title as both the ruling king and âdoting uncleâ he never got to be. I do believe he feels some guilt about this. I think taking the side of the one he knew suffered the worst of the abuse was a form of penance in his eyes, as he frequently makes remarks favoring Uro over Yoki. Seems contradictory but guilt is a powerful thing and goes hand in hand with regret, which we already know he has in spades.
MC points out that despite any kindness in supporting his one nephew, he not only betrayed the other but also used Yoki, losing the righteousness in his actions. Shiyu doesnât refute this at all and takes it on the chin, admitting he did use him. He doesnât defend himself, just seems to get more self-deprecating.
And yet, when Shunlin asked what Shiyu knows about Uro and Yokiâs past, he refuses to say, claiming he âisn't so cruel that he would rub his lilâ nephews nose in the harsh truthâ. Then goes on to say âI'm not like Uro.â
And boy is this a heck of a foreshadowing for reasons we'll get into later.
Unpopular opinion but I genuinely dislike both Uro and Shunlin at the end of this route and feel they flipped the script, becoming âsoftâ villains themselves.
Shiyu then encourages Yoki by gently patting him on the back and rallying him to fight.
âPull yourself together, Yoki. Your past with Shunlin ainât important.â
Because he knows.
Despite his non-chalant facade, Shiyu is extremely perceptive and he knows that when Yoki snapped, his mind focused on Shunlin as a sort of âsalvationâ. This is an actual defense mechanism. As a sort of last ditch effort to shield himself from his dismal situation, Yoki adopted his brother's stories as his own memories, deluding himself into believing that HE was the prince who was free to play and meet with friendsâŠthat HE was the one who met a pretty girl and fell in love. All while still locked in the prison of his room, his mind fabricated a lie to protect itself.
Shiyu knows this and tries to comfort him in his final moments.
âShiyu gave a deep nod of satisfaction as he saw Yoki was roused once more.â
Shiyu then tacks a talisman to his own forehead, sacrificing himself in the name of handing his power over to Yoki.
Yet despite doing this and shouting lines of encouragement to Yoki, itâs (once again) Uro he offers his final goodbye to in that moment.
âYouâve grown into a fine man, Yue. Sorry I couldnât do nothing for ya. Still, Iâm hoping youâre about to make me proud.â
And there it is. He even uses Uroâs true name to say it.
All he had to do to ensure Yokiâs victory was kill Shunlin and steal her powers back. But he leaves her alive, with the very powers that can neutralize his own (now Yoki's). Not an accident. Not an oversight. (Still, I'm hoping you're about to make me proud.)
He does this so blatantly I think everyone in the room except Yoki catches on (thank goodness or all that heartache and sorrow would have been for nothing).
He couldnât bear to leave Yoki alone, in the twisted darkness of his mind. Something Shiyu understood and suffered as well. But even Shiyu had Aelie to bring him back in touch with his humanity, someone who cared for him for no reason when he was stuck in the darkness of his mind. Someone who brought light to his darkness.
You might think, But Yoki had his brother before he turned on him!
But Luojin broke that very bond successfully by pitting them against each other. That was nasty and intentional. And when that didn't fully break their bond, he tried isolation. No matter how unfair it may seem, Yue became a tool to torture Yoki, however unwilling he may have been or how hard he tried to counteract it. And though not his fault in any way, it unfortunately limited what Yue could do for him. Any comfort Yoki could find in his brother became a double edged sword used against him and Iâm sure his own resentmentâ and guilt for that resentmentâ is a large part of the strain that broke his mind.
Back to present dayâŠ.
Uro had his good disposition still intact and his merry band of followers to support him. Shiyu saw this and I can't help but believe this also affected the choice he made.
Without Shiyu, Yoki would have gone down while fighting completely alone, with no one on his side. Even Longli noted he still had a good nature that had potential to be a good king, someone who genuinely loved his country. But while Yue went on to live and become âUroâ, Yoki continued to live in his own personal hell within the castle where his father ruled. However justified it might seem after attempting to murder his brother, the cruelty that drove him mad remained a pall over his entire life even to present day once he became sole heir to the throne.
Remember how he casually talked about how his father still physically abused him? When he tried to stand up for the detained daoshi Yoki says not to worry about him because Luojin âjust punched me in the stomach and ordered me awayâ....like being physically assaulted and dismissed was nothing. Maybe even common.
Honestly, I feel for Yoki. He was mind-broken as a child, and no, thereâs no excuse for trying to kill his brother (and I believe his mother too in order to frame Yue) but I do believe the abuse damaged his psyche to the point where he no longer could be who he would've been. Even Uro commented he had been a kind soul before the abuse took its toll.
âŠWhich is why I hated this routeâs ending.
Both endings the summary mentions how Uro makes the decision to âconfine Yoki to his roomâ âŠsupposedly in retaliation for his crimes and the hopes that he would take the time to reflect and regain his sanity.
Seriously?
They chose the very punishment used by his abusive father that completely shattered his mindâ solitary confinement in his room? (Remember this is what broke him NOT physical punishment. It was the feeling of isolation. Of never being good enough. Never being chosen. Knowing he wasn't the âgolden boyâ as Shiyu puts it. Shiyu was the only one who ever chose Yoki his entire life). And THIS is what they hoped would RESTORE his sanity!? I call BS. This wasn't justice. This was cruel. Whether intentional or by thoughtlessness.
It would have been far kinder to execute him.
Throughout Uro/Shunlinâs happy ending CGs, they talked about how overjoyed they were to be together and have one another forever while musing that Yoki still hadn't improved, and all I could think was that poor Shiyu was probably rolling over in his grave. đ
At that point it just felt like satire. All I could do was picture Yoki watching them from the window of the room he was imprisoned withinâŠjust like he was by his father. He's now forced to live out his days in the nightmare circumstances that caused his insanity, now enforced by his brother who won in every way he was doomed to lose, all while watching them ride off into the sunset together with their happy ending.
I didn't even care that much about Yoki believe it or not and I sure didn't like him an ounce. But this VERY specific choice shocked and disgusted me.
Yoki asideâŠA few more (lighter) notes on Shiyu.
No he wasnât âgoodâ. Yes, he did bad things and was a chaotic mess at times. ButâŠ
As much as Shiyu gets a bad wrap for wanting to kill MCâŠdoes he ever succeed?
Did anyone notice that this is one of the few otome games that has no âbad endsâ? Literally zero endings where the MC truly dies or the villain triumphs?
Sure there were close calls, but I feel the lack of definitive bad ends was by design and a strong reflection on the lack of a definitively âbadâ villain.
Honestly, Shiyu is the best worst villain Iâve ever seen. Heâs constantly getting in his own way.
Yet he even gets a bad wrap for this, citing he's too hot then too cold.
Again, this felt very intentional to me and indicated Shiyu was a deeply complex and conflicted character who had a lot of clashing regrets and desires.
He almost always gives up âtoo easyâ even according to the MC. And in one ending they even comment how he doesnât really look sad to have lost, to which he responds that he knew in order to win heâd probably need to kill Shunlin to get his power back and that he justâŠ.didnât want to.
Haoran even asks if itâs really ok for him to leave this world without getting to resolve his regrets as a jiangshi and in true Shiyu fashion he responds by saying âSome things you just have to laugh off.â And then lets himself get banished to the underworld by Shunlin.
Think about this.
Fifty years.
Half a century of stewing in hatred and desire for revenge.
In life, he never even trained as daoshi. He watched people in passing and trained himself in those woods FOR DECADES. After he died. By himself. Determined to get his revenge and deliver Luojin his just desserts.
And yet.
AND YET.
He was foiled byâŠ
1) A little girl (Aelie) who, in his own words, was the only person in life or death he ever opened his heart to. đ Youâre killing me, Shiyu.
If you think that sounds a bit anticlimactic for a bad-ass self-proclaimed villain, just you wait. Heâs next foiled byâŠ
2) A baby.
Yup. Aelieâs baby specifically. All the pent up power meant for his revenge and he spends it to save her child by her request just to watch his only friend die in exchange. I'm sure he would have much rather saved Aelie, but instead he honors her request. Delivers the child, saves its life, ensures it gets safely to her grandparents, buries the body of the only woman he ever opened his heart to and makes a grave for her (that we know he visits, places flowers on and talks to at least sometimes because we get a scene showing that). Yes I know he vows to kill the child as an adult if need be to win but he doesnât succeed at finishing that job either.
I just canât believe itâs because he was powerless to stop a newbie daoshi from defeating his decades of focused learning. He sees Aelieâs ghost beg Shunlin to stop him and he freezes and totally LETS himself get hit by her talisman. From my perspective he always seems to have this sense of relief implied when someone stops him. Like he's hoping for it.
And lastly, the final and ULTIMATE foil to his plans wasâŠ
3) Another baby. LOL
Now itâs just getting sad because can he even call himself a true villain at this point?
Embarrassing.
He doesnât even have the excuse of sentimentality this time. This is a completely random baby he found in the forest abandoned by its family.
He clearly has a soft spot no matter how hard he tries to fight it.
He mentions he could have âchucked it off a cliffâ but decided not to because âwhy waste all my power Iâd been saving upâ (probably for the next baby he meets).
I mean, no offense, but what power is required to chuck a baby off a cliff, hmmm?
And then the next line is just such a funny Shiyu line to me.
He says Shunlin stole his power AS A BABY because she âaccidentally grabbedâ his finger.
Like. How Shiyu?
You. FLOAT.
Explain this to meâŠ.where were you in relation to said baby that this tiny, defenseless being took youâa powerful, levitating, undead beingâ by surprise and wrestled your finger into her tiny hand?
Could it be when you picked her up and safely delivered her to somewhere you knew sheâd be found and taken care of? As you walked right the heck past that cliff you âdidnât have the energyâ to chuck her off of?
đ€Łđ€Łđ€Ł
Like for reeeeal!?
Shiyu is his own worst enemy.
Not a single of these foils or failures would have been possible if he truly let go of every scrap of his humanity and wholly committed to revenge and villainy.
It makes me think of that story of the grandfather telling his grandson about how there are two wolves inside of everyone that are constantly fighting each other, a âgoodâ wolf and an âevilâ wolf. When the boy asks which one wins he responds, âwhichever one you feedâ.
Well, all I can say about Shiyu to wrap this up is, after fifty years of feeding his revenge, his compassion must have been one hell of a scrawny scrapper.
