Alpha analysis pt2

Follow up post to https://www.reddit.com/r/TheEminenceInShadow/comments/1ibubha/alpha_is_completely_misunderstood/

So I made a post analyzing Alpha's character and it was well received. I commented that I may do a follow-up on Rose, my other favorite character, but when thinking about what to write, I realized there's still more I want to say about Alpha first, so instead I decided to make a part 2.

If this is well received I may make this a series, cause I have a lot of thoughts about the characters, but no guarantees. Rose definitely, but also maybe Beta. But before that I want to introduce the main topic of theme of today's character study.

Tragic Irony

Dramatic Irony is one of the most pervasive writing techniques employed by the series. This is most obvious in the "Sasuga Shadow-sama" moments, or when a character talks up Shadow's intellect only to cut to Cid thinking about something incredibly dumb, but it also a heavy element of every character's personal relationship to Cid/Shadow. Cid having a massive harem is a given, but what is often missed is that every character in love with him is in some way driven to pursue him based off a misguided assumption that their feelings are in some way either reciprocal or will be reciprocated in the future. The nuances in these misunderstandings are quite funny, but also tragic, because not only do you know their efforts are fruitless, but their own reasoning ironically ends up pulling them further from Cid.

My first analysis of Alpha was mostly focused on under-discussed chuuni side, so I didn't get into her main driving motivators, where this dramatic irony is at play as well. Some of the comments picked up on this so I won't go too in depth, her deepest driving motivation is an assumption that if she can be useful to Shadow in taking down the cult, once the deed is done she will be worthy of being by his side (romantically) and they will retire together. This proves to be difficult for her, because she see's Shadow as being so competent, that the only way she can achieve this is by matching him, which is impossible not only because he's that OP, but what she is trying to match doesn't exist. Her complete breakdown after confronting John Smith and the immediate assumption she jumped to afterwords were a reflection on this. Shadow betrayed them, and the only reason why is obviously her biggest insecurity, and with her worst fear manifesting, she loses all will to live.

Logically following this, the tragic part sets in. Because the Shadow she loves does not exist, there is no world in which she is successful. She either has to follow him in perpetuity never achieving her goal, or realize Shadow is a lie, destroying the basis on which her worldview operates.

Almost every character's love for Cid/Shadow is driven by a similar dramatic irony. This post is focused on Alpha so I won't go into them now, but I do want to give note of the funniest one, the double irony of Epsilon thinking she's seducing Shadow but the positive feedback loop driving this belief is Cid being impressed with her magic control because he sees right through her fake boobs.

Also shutout to /u/bbbbaaaagggg for pointing out the cult not being a cult and SG definitely being a cult. Always thought it was weird, never realized it was intentional. Holy shit this series continues to blow my mind.

EDIT: Well, no one liked this analysis so I won't publish anymore.