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Onyx Equinox an original animated series from Crunchyroll

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Akirakan Since: Feb, 2015 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#51: Dec 14th 2020 at 7:28:25 AM

Quetzalcoatl has varied interpretations. Although he's generally considered the Big Good of the nahua mythology, he's still generally depicted as being loyal to his family. Depending on the region, he is either a compassionate God who bans human sacrifice (toltecs) to a monstrous figure that will eat the sun and bring humanity to it's end (tarahumaras).

There's also the real life ruler Ce Acatl Topitzin Quetzalcoatl. A ruler of Tollan or Tula, he took the toltecs to their golden age, banned sacrifices, before being sent to exile at which point he arrived to Maya region, starting their golden age. How much was Quetzalcoatl the God inspired by Quetzalcoatl the ruler, and viceversa, is still up to debate.

To further complicate things, post-conquest, one of the many techniques to convert natives into catholicism was to draw parallels between their religions. Naturally, Quetzalcoatl fit that Jesus-like figure. There was even the believe among some in the church that Quetzalcoatl was one of Jesus' 12 apostles. It's hard to tell how much influence the Spanish had on changing the views of the natives mythology in order to make it more christianized.

As for tne swearing, oddly enough because there's so much variety of insults in indigenous languages that only having Spanish (or english) insults really takes me out.

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#52: Dec 14th 2020 at 7:33:14 AM

I didn't particularly notice much swearing. Was the English dub different?

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Kaiseror Since: Jul, 2016
#53: Dec 14th 2020 at 7:34:04 AM

I suppose Quetzalcoatl's change could have been a deliberate choice to keep him from being too sympathetic. If he's the only god who is advocating for humanity but also the only one who doesn't eat us than it gives an entirely benevolent (by modern standards at least) deity to route for.

On a related note, does anyone know the reason why the mythological Quetzalcoatl is the only Aztec god who didn't need human sacrifices?

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#54: Dec 14th 2020 at 7:38:31 AM

The obvious answer is that he was based on that ruler just mentioned who abolished the practice. Alternatively, maybe he was the god for the people who had second thoughts about the whole sacrifice thing.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Kaiseror Since: Jul, 2016
#56: Dec 14th 2020 at 7:45:50 AM

I was talking more about the reasons that the myths gave. He was seen as humanity's creator, does that have something to do with it?

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#57: Dec 14th 2020 at 7:47:43 AM

So is the possessing humans and burning them up from the inside based on anything?

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Akirakan Since: Feb, 2015 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#58: Dec 14th 2020 at 8:38:06 AM

Not that I'm aware of.

There was definitely possession, albeit generally done by priests, but the rotting and burning is new to me. Possession against will was mostly done by Tezcatlipoca, and gods can be seen presenting normally to humans in earthly ground.

There's definitely a lot of Artistic License. The idea that obsidian is a god repelent (Tezcatlipoca carries a obsidian mirror at all times), that olmecs were the first of the humans who were created and exterminated (a bit of Genius Bonus when you know the myth, but not linked), that here we have seen Maya cities from the Golden age which means the series should take place after Quetzalcoatl's exile, etc...

Kaiseror Since: Jul, 2016
#59: Dec 14th 2020 at 8:42:54 AM

[up] I think the fourth episode clarified that it was the Olmec obsidian gates that harmed the gods rather than just obsidian in general.

luisedgarf from Mexico Since: May, 2009 Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
#60: Dec 14th 2020 at 9:18:59 AM

And yes, I feel rather sorry for Mexican people having to deal with this as their cultural heritage. It must be hard celebrating your mythology when that involves blood drinking gods. And Christians think Old Testament God was problematic...

If you think that sounds bad for you, you should had saw how many people in the States thought about the Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos) festivity in the 80s (and likely earlier) and earlier 90s, since many people thought that festivity was basically witchcraft, voodoo or Santeria for conservartive mindsets in the U.S.

But I agree with you, in some degree, about the human sacrifices part, and I think I need to explain better this part: While here in Mexico, like everyone else, we agree that human sacrifices were a terrible part of our culture, at the same time we are also taught to not whitewash that part of our history just for misguided political correctness either.

In fact, if you think this show was gorier about that part, there's Mexican films which were never afraid to show human sacrifices in all their gorier glory, through I agree they went overboard with this on showing children and teens being killed, something that even in Mexican films depicting human sacrifices weren't willing to do.

Edited by luisedgarf on Dec 14th 2020 at 11:32:21 AM

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#61: Dec 14th 2020 at 9:47:00 AM

You'd be surprised what you can get away with showing to children in some media. Like, children's books are a lot more lenient on depicting horror.

There's this Dutch book series called "Valentina Hellebel" by Eddy C. Bertin, and in one of them, the protagonist (a young teen witch) has a nightmare about being sacrificed on an Aztec temple. And it's pretty detailed and graphic. Everything from the stone slab being so hot touching it leaves flakes of skin, all the way to having her still beating heart pulled out. The dream is not really connected to anything besides the Eldritch Horror of the Week, but man, that sticks with you.

Children's horror novels are so much fun. It's amazing the stuff they get away with.

Edited by Redmess on Dec 14th 2020 at 6:53:00 PM

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Kaiseror Since: Jul, 2016
#62: Dec 14th 2020 at 11:20:27 AM

The sacrifices depicted in the show are actually much tamer than what the Aztecs actually did. Here it mostly just seems to consist of throat cutting but with the real Aztecs there was the ever famous heart ripping, another had the priest flaying the sacrificial victim then wearing the skin and dancing till it rots to bring a bountiful harvest and another had them downing multiple crying babies (and yes, they had to be crying) to bring rain.

After they graduated from tribe to empire they would mostly sacrifice people from neighboring tribes as a form of intimidation while still claiming that it was a great honor. It's not hard to see how the conquistadors were able to convince the Aztecs neighbors to help overthrow them. I imagine they toned down the that aspect in the show so that the viewers didn't agree with Izel that maybe they should be wiped out.

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#63: Dec 14th 2020 at 11:53:20 AM

Yeah, that is the constant danger with a show like this putting the human sacrifice front and centre and still expecting us to root for these people.

I guess all the body horror went into the gods possessing humans, then. Perhaps the expectation is that it will be less offensive when done by supernatural beings.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Akirakan Since: Feb, 2015 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#64: Dec 14th 2020 at 3:21:29 PM

Though, we haven't gotten to the mexicas, which were the ones who were cartoonishly violent and are the ones who generally give bad reputation to mesoamaerican cultures as a whole. Yes, they're the ones who made famous the heart rip.

So far the show has only depicted mayas and zapotecs, who weren't even that much into human sacrifice (they just did it in extreme cases like a severe drought or, in the case of the show, the literal end of the world). Mexicas were the ones who couldn't let a day pass without a sacrifice. They were the ones who brought back the human sacrifice to areas that was outright forbidden.

I think it's no coincidence that Izel and Nelli are mexicas, which will probably contrast Izel's attitude towards sacrifice once he arrives to mexica area.

My review/thoughts on episodes 3 and 4.

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#65: Dec 15th 2020 at 2:10:54 AM

Is there a way to tell the three groups apart? Anything specific?

I saw episode three, and I agree the new characters aren't very likeable so far.

Another gore scene. Is this going to be a once an episode thing?

The sword squeed at being coated in blood. It squeed. This is so fucked up. grin

A magic ball? That's interesting. I don't think I've ever seen magic sports gear before.

Edited by Redmess on Dec 15th 2020 at 11:14:53 AM

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Akirakan Since: Feb, 2015 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#66: Dec 15th 2020 at 8:06:25 AM

So far the only glimpse of zapotecs we've seen is from episode 1. It was the city that was destroyed.

After that we've spent the rest of the episodes in Maya region. Uxmal, Oxte Tun, and Palenque are all Maya cities.

Yeah, I would say that the best way to distinguish them would be their language, but since everyone here speaks the same, it's hard to tell them apart unless you know about more about their culture and different art styles.

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#67: Dec 15th 2020 at 8:21:41 AM

I wonder if, after episode 3, this show can count as Gorn. That shot of the two dead guards comes to mind, especially that ripped off hand.

That there's Maya hip hop is cool and all, but I don't feel it particularly fits with this show, and sounds way too modern. It feels like an anachronism, and it pulled me out of the scene rather than immersing.

Edited by Redmess on Dec 15th 2020 at 1:00:19 PM

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
jessicadicicco610 Since: Oct, 2018 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#68: Dec 16th 2020 at 3:36:44 PM

https://mobile.twitter.com/banannerbread/status/1339333506183249920

Anna Lencioni, the wife of series creator Sofia Alexander (who was also a storyboard artist for episode 4), posted a bit of inside information about the show.

"A little inside info is that Onyx Equinox was written by my wife Sofia following a time in her life when she was isolated from her family and loved ones after unwillingly being outed as gay. Her battle with the depression following that time are baked into the emotional moments."

jessicadicicco610 Since: Oct, 2018 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#70: Dec 18th 2020 at 11:05:12 AM

Man, everyone is a jerk to Izel. Poor kid.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Kaiseror Since: Jul, 2016
#71: Dec 18th 2020 at 11:39:02 AM

An I the only one who finds Zyanya to be an unpleasant person? Given her actions in that clip and the fact that she followed Izel and the others after they already said no and basically waited for the right moment to extort them when they'd need help certainly paints a very unflattering image of her.

Also, what was with that overly cutesy axolotl?

jessicadicicco610 Since: Oct, 2018 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#72: Dec 18th 2020 at 11:54:51 AM

[up][up]So, would this series qualify for World of Jerkass then?

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#73: Dec 18th 2020 at 11:56:59 AM

That Axolotl could be a Pokemon.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Kaiseror Since: Jul, 2016
#74: Dec 18th 2020 at 12:24:30 PM

The only Aztec figure I can think of who's associated with axolotls is Xolotl, Quetzalcoaltl's twin brother who is a god of lightning and fire as well as a guardian for the souls of warriors on their way to the underworld. I'm perplexed because Xolotl is also associated with Xoloitzcuintles and is often described as a horrific looking dogman with empty eye sockets.

Edited by Kaiseror on Dec 18th 2020 at 2:28:38 PM

Akirakan Since: Feb, 2015 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#75: Dec 18th 2020 at 1:58:14 PM

The show really likes to hammer that Izel is too weak to be the chosen one.

Zyanya's attitude might be because she still has hope of finding her parents alive. If I recall, in the previous episode she mentioned that there are still people trapped in Dani Baan. Might also be tied to her potential curse? As the cliffhanger from the previous episode showed, she might have some sort of curse.

The axolotl might just be a cute companion. They've been having it in the marketing for a while, and in the explanation videos they have a plushie of them front and center.


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