History Analysis / GSenjouNoMaou

Now, what was it that caused {{Faust}} to become corrupted in the first place? In the end it was his own desire and thirst for knowledge that caused him to strike his pact with the Devil rather than anything the Devil actually did. The same is true of those who became seduced by evil in ''G Senjou'' - Kyousuke did it so that he wouldn't have to be poor, no matter what excuse he gave about his mother. Yuki did it for knowledge. In the end even Haru jumped off the proverbial precipice in the name of revenge. There isn't a single person in ''G Senjou'' who wasn't corrupted as a result of their own desires and these subconscious, wicked, selfish thoughts are frequently referred to as "the Devil" inside the people (see Tsubaki and Kanon's routes). When you think about it that way, Maou is not simply an affectation to look cool or an epithet to spread fear. There's no conceit there. Maou is literally the Master of Devils, the desires inside all people.

Of course, we must also keep in mind that everything written here might be complete BS. For someone who doesn't know or understand Japanese cultural attitudes, it is entirely possible to misunderstand something that would have seemed self-evident to an ordinary reader. The themes may have been interpreted in a way the authors never intended, and thus the analysis may have taken on a life of its own and grown into some terrible abomination. But, of course, this is why analysis is sometimes called "critical appreciation".

It has been said, occasionally, that love will be our salvation. It will set us free. To an extent that's true. After all, in five out of five routes the protagonists were able to achieve their happy endings because of their love for each other, giving them the strength to overcome their own flaws. Such a theme is not uncommon in visual novels. On the flipside, love can also be one of the greatest motivators for someone to turn to evil. After all, even Maou himself was driven by revenge for what was done to his loved ones. Hashimoto wasn't a bad person either, even he loved his dad, enough that he would start taking hostages so that he could be released from prison. For love, Mizuha would have thrown herself into the pits of hell and cast her lot in with her sister without ever realising what she was getting into, and stood in front of Kyousuke, willing to risk being raped. All for love. Were it not for the goodwill of others she would have been damned (and that's exactly what happens in the Bad Ending for her route). So you see, it works both ways. Love can save us or destroy us, if we let it.

This is why the recurring theme of ''Der Erlkönig'' is so important. Yes, it is connected to classical music through the Schubert interpretation, and yes it serves as a metaphor for the playful, fey nature of Maou (contrary to the game's interpretation, the Erlkönig of the poem is generally considered to be one of TheFairFolk rather than the Devil himself although, since Japanese mythology doesn't really have any equivalent of fairies, Devil works just as well), but how does this relate to evil? "Literature/{{Erlkonig}}" was originally written by one Creator/JohannWolfgangVonGoethe, a man we normally associate with ''Theatre/{{Faust}}''. Now, ''Faust'' is more relevant to the subject of man and evil, and is alluded to occasionally within ''G Senjou''. It may seem like a tenuous connection and a bit of a western-centric view but given that virtually all the leitmotifs in the game are European classical pieces and the numerous Faustian bargains within the story, it is difficult to think that the significance of the original Goethe poem would be lost on the writers.

This is why the recurring theme of ''Der Erlkönig'' is so important. Yes, it is connected to classical music through the Schubert interpretation, and yes it serves as a metaphor for the playful, fey nature of Maou (contrary to the game's interpretation, the Erlkönig of the poem is generally considered to be one of TheFairFolk rather than the Devil himself although, since Japanese mythology doesn't really have any equivalent of fairies, Devil works just as well), but how does this relate to evil? ''Der Erlkönig'' was originally written by one Creator/JohannWolfgangVonGoethe, a man we normally associate with ''{{Faust}}''. Now, ''Faust'' is more relevant to the subject of man and evil, and is alluded to occasionally within ''G Senjou''. It may seem like a tenuous connection and a bit of a western-centric view but given that virtually all the leitmotifs in the game are European classical pieces and the numerous Faustian bargains within the story, it is difficult to think that the significance of the original Goethe poem would be lost on the writers.

Now, what was it that caused Faust to become corrupted in the first place? In the end it was his own desire and thirst for knowledge that caused him to strike his pact with the Devil rather than anything the Devil actually did. The same is true of those who became seduced by evil in ''G Senjou'' - Kyousuke did it so that he wouldn't have to be poor, no matter what excuse he gave about his mother. Yuki did it for knowledge. In the end even Haru jumped off the proverbial precipice in the name of revenge. There isn't a single person in ''G Senjou'' who wasn't corrupted as a result of their own desires and these subconscious, wicked, selfish thoughts are frequently referred to as "the Devil" inside the people (see Tsubaki and Kanon's routes). When you think about it that way, Maou is not simply an affectation to look cool or an epithet to spread fear. There's no conceit there. Maou is literally the Master of Devils, the desires inside all people.

This is why the recurring theme of ''Der Erlkönig'' is so important. Yes, it is connected to classical music through the Schubert interpretation, and yes it serves as a metaphor for the playful, fey nature of Maou (contrary to the game's interpretation, the Erlkönig of the poem is generally considered to be one of TheFairFolk rather than the Devil himself although, since Japanese mythology doesn't really have any equivalent of fairies, Devil works just as well), but how does this relate to evil? ''Der Erlkönig'' was originally written by one JohannWolfgangVonGoethe, a man we normally associate with ''{{Faust}}''. Now, ''Faust'' is more relevant to the subject of man and evil, and is alluded to occasionally within ''G Senjou''. It may seem like a tenuous connection and a bit of a western-centric view but given that virtually all the leitmotifs in the game are European classical pieces and the numerous Faustian bargains within the story, it is difficult to think that the significance of the original Goethe poem would be lost on the writers.

This is why the recurring theme of ''Der Erlkönig'' is so important. Yes, it is connected to classical music through the Schubert interpretation, and yes it serves as a metaphor for the playful, fey nature of Maou (contrary to the game's interpretation, the Erlkönig of the poem is generally considered to be one of TheFairFolk rather than the Devil himself), but how does this relate to evil? ''Der Erlkönig'' was originally written by one JohannWolfgangVonGoethe, a man we normally associate with ''{{Faust}}''. Now, ''Faust'' is more relevant to the subject of man and evil, and is alluded to occasionally within ''G Senjou''. It may seem like a tenuous connection and a bit of a western-centric view but given that virtually all the leitmotifs in the game are European classical pieces and the numerous Faustian bargains within the story, it is difficult to think that the significance of the original Goethe poem would be lost on the writers.

A piece conspicuous by its absence in the story. ''Air'' is only heard during moments of exceptional poignancy, despite being the inspiration for the title as well as Kyousuke's favorite song. But perhaps that is the point. Because of Haru's lifelong grudge against Maou, she can no longer play ''Air on the G-String''. Thus, until the end, we don't get to hear it.