Avm Analysis - Blog Posts

Purple's monophobia has nice roots to some parental issues, and I can't emphasize enough on the honers AvM29 executed through their unique style of auditories and visuals in a headspace minimalist. Not only introducing the main climatic conflict and turning point of a character, but simultaneously expanding on those same elements through metaphorical lenses in a way where it doesn't feel.. cramped, forced, nor fast paced. Because while it is something that is handed to you, it's something you're deliberately left to dive into because of just how subtle it is. It can honestly be quite easy to miss if you're not someone who likes to unravel detailing meticulously.

Note Block Universe is a musical based short. They're acknowledging and signing instruments to these respective characters. Purple having a signature violin, and Green having a clarinete. In research, people who play the clarinet have unique and similar personalities. They're very bright, outgoing, sociable, aware, empathetic, and passionate. People who play the violin are shown to be more closed off. They are dedicated, emotional, passionate, and intelligent. While both instruments hold their own musical difficulty, they work well together in duets as well.

Getting into Purple's elaboration, their father was such a big part of their life. His role served as a tutor, a guide. (Someone who wasn't completely in his biases, but a tutor nonetheless.)

Purple was not provided an ounce of comfort following the split. To say they didn't have the best household would be an understatement. They are glued to their mother's side and catering to her health. After her death, after seemingly implying that they had buried her, they don't move from their position, and the violin starts increasing in its shaky E strings. They're locked in place. Their head stays low, and their limbs sag. They're paralyzed, a bit similar to how Orchid stood following Navy’s abandonment. Wind blows beneath the petals, and the graphs sway to reveal Purple's dad. Only then, does the motif pick up.

But It's with amusement that you note the usage of shots.

Longshots are used to highlight a character's body language and to establish their relationship with the environment. The cinematographer wants you to be indulged in the scene entirely, so there isn't a specific focus for this very purpose. Close-ups are used to communicate an intensive focus on a character's body language, expression, or a symbolic piece entirely seperate from the character. The transitions between shots delivers an emotional emphasis in compliment to context, pace, and narrative.

This clip is a follow up to the autoscripted note visuals, focusing on the transition to a headspace environment. This communicates to us that this is their nadir. A longshot; Purple's sombre, her grave, and those petals. A close-up with Purple's casted shadow and blank stare, then a close-up to their focus in question, which is their mother's grave and those petals. The wind picks up, and the graphs follow the petals, revealing their dad. A longshot, and every trace of Orchid completely vanishes. Purple lifts their head, and their concentration is completely locked. A medium-shot, Purple reaches out, and thus, their venture begins.

This transition is an immediate culmination to what we were presented with. It becomes extremely futile, restrictive, and useless if you were to not treat the autoscripted notes bit with the same field of analysis as the headspace bit. It doesn't just haunt the narrative, it's the literal motive.

Purple's father's methods in tutors weren't appropriate nor comprehensible to someone so young. (Or rather, someone who wasn't particularly made to be a candidate for sparring..) Their mother rather distanced herself from either discomfort, fear, or perhaps even both from the observings of sessions, as there isn't nearly enough to imply that Navy was physical with her before.

When Navy stomps her away, you would usually expect a parent to protest to defend their child, protest to be involved. But here is where she proves you wrong. She doesn't make it known that no, I'm not going to let you treat our child this way. While she doesn't comment on his style in parenting in the clip, the pure disgust and judgement is apparent enough.

Regardless, she still bystands until she doesn't, but it already affected Purple.

Only stepping in once she's certain they're in danger, once she believes it's a necessity. And this isn't to demonize Purple's mother, she's just a character with flaws. But being a bystander to “training” to the extent of feeling obliged to defend yourself when up against those foundations is morally unjustifiable and screams volumes on the situation. Having such an inconsistency ultimately results in Purple confiding in themselves, becoming stubborn to those outside their defensive field, because they don't think they're ready to let anyone in. Something that wasn't made by their own hands, but is left with their responsibility to break.

Navy was a tutor, as much or as less as he was a parent. Purple was distressed, begging, while Orchid did not look back once. Purple was dazed, and only then does Orchid's legs giving out from underneath her snap them out of their musings.

Because if they had done anything different, would the outcome remain the same? Would it be any different from what it is now? Is it their fault?

While they can't change the past, there's a possibility to retrieve it, isn't there?

Because Purple was a child of two people, even if they didn't particularly have a childhood. With one parent deceased, another absent, they're alone. They stood paralyzed until something itched, because they don't need to be alone. They didn't want validation, they wanted their remaining parent back into their life. Of course, keeping Navy’s style in mind, this includes validation as a narrative product, but not in the way I often see portrayed in the fandom.

Because not only is Navy huge, centered in their mind, it's his animation upon the abandonment. That head turn, the way his shoulders slightly sagged upon returning back to his motion. It's the most traumatic memory that Purple has of him. It's what they obsessively analyzed, what plays over and over again. It's the reason they're going through these drastic heights to begin with. The current situation they believe they can protest and what they believe they can accomplish by redirecting that choice.

And as Purple has to manually and metaphorically climb their depths to get to their father, they're deliberately burying and repressing their grief for their mother. Deeper and deeper as they go higher and higher.

If it be a dragon egg as the supporting figurative amongst the climb or an abrasive king who takes that spot. And the king who takes that spot is a bit more.. well, major. He's really major. Because this is an authority figure. In Purple's mind, this figure was the first to offer them a sense of belonging since their bout of being alone. The bout being (presumably) 8 years.

And latching onto the first authority figure that offers you inclusion as an immediate response because you were alone for so long, Isn't.. you know, good. That isn't healthy.

Because when they're close, their father turns his head the other way, and they fall. It's a brutal reminder. It's a shove to reality. But they're not back at the beginning. They're on a platform due to other's presence. They have a group, and they can be a part of this group. Because it's not the end just yet. Because there's someone that notices them. And he's whispering something, something they're not ready to understand, and they completely discard them.

But before the quintet even made their introduction, before they even made their appearance, before Purple can even process the potential friend group, it was their own refusal to accept Navy's choice that the platform stood to begin with.

Despite having their elytra throughout the entire span of the series, this is the only time it's actually included in their headspace. It's to emphasize a callback. Their likening to their elytra grew double in size because that was the material that gave King that greenlight approval nod. If it be their response on retrieving the elytra back onto their body after the strike from King, or if it be being held back by Green. Fishing rod in hand, and by that elytra nonetheless.

When King’s betrayal forced them back into those depths they repressed, they reflect. They're right back at the beginning, the very beginning, and those shaky E strings pick up once again. They didn't accomplish anything, and everything went to waste. But at the same time, was there really anything to waste to begin with?

Purple is back in those pools of petals, there isn't a grave to compliment, just her petals. Their head low, their limbs sagging, and Orchid’s petal falls. It's just one petal, and they extend their hand.

But it flakes right past.

Because she isn't here anymore, they don't need a grave for clarification. We don't need a grave for clarification. Only then, does Purple stiffen.

They look to their father, and his back is already turned. But that's because it always has been.

But this time they don't reach out. Because it was his choice. Because they have to accept that.

And that means they're all alone.

Or are they?