omygod i couldn't even remember the roots of phos suffering. when did this all start again?thanks for reminding me, imma go cry in the corner because antarcticite was literally best gem
Right? Antarcticite is such a babe haha. I hope for her return but I don't think that the storyline will head that way. It'll either be very tragic or Phos finds solace in being alone.
I think all these problems started after Phos' 300 years of solitude, when joining the other gems and realising he won't fit in. He literally says out loud at the end of ch.1 that his only ally is his papers (to create a new encyclopedia) and no one really takes note of it.
If you go back to ch.1 page 4 shows phos not being present in the picture (despite being the main protagonist) and in page 5 Phos is crouching under Adamant's robes instead of standing confidently in front of him like all the other gems.
No one really cared much for Phos from the beginning unless Sensei told the other gems to bring him over to assign him to a new job.
Houseki no Kuni hits home like no other manga, my urge to spill my thoughts is too great for me to hold back (legit just made an account today to comment on this masterpiece) so here, for those who are interested in reading.
It's safe to say we all want Phos to end his own suffering and somehow find happiness. Phos keeps on being tormented by his surroundings, his distorted memories further contribute to this. By constantly replacing his limbs and being left with little of himself he doesn't have much to actually remember everything he has experienced. He only really remembers Antarcticite as his happy moment and keeps holding on to this memory as being with Antarcticite probably gave him his happiest memories.
Phos needs to come to terms with his pain and feel comfort in solitude instead of desperately seeking for someone else's affection. I believe the only way for Phos to find happiness is to honestly walk away from everything and seclude himself from everyone once again. Being in isolation for 300 years right after his birth clearly secluded him from the rest and made him incapable of relating to others and/or forming deep and meaningful bonds. Phos tried his best to fit in, to have friends but clearly that didn't work out great for him. Phos has always felt lonely, you can see it from the beginning when he kept constantly being shattered and easily broke to minimal pressure (in comparison to the Diamonds). Phos came to the conclusion that by becoming stronger it will make him more likeable and give him a place to belong to.
Phos understands the pain of being alone and finds it unbearable (although bless his soul for trying his best to stay positive, what a precious child), that is why he wanted to help Cinnabar. By helping Cinnabar, Phos would also find some peace of mind and gain a friend.
Phosphophyllite did manage to remove Cinnabar him from his self-isolation and join the gems (unfortunately he had to go through a lot and essentially deepened his issues to a whole other level), but Cinnabar was and still is too wrapped up in his current happiness of belonging that he does not really care for Phos any longer (which is honestly heartbreaking but like ¯_(ツ)_/¯ Phos' whole life is pretty damn tragic if you ask me). Antarcticite was the only gem Phosphophyllite really bonded to, he was basically Phos' elder sibling and truly cared for Phos. It's because they both understood one another and experienced very similar things that no other gem really did, i.e. isolation, loneliness, feeling weak (Antarcticite melts above a certain temperature, so he could understand Phos' desire to want to become stronger), wanting to be loved by others, etc.
Now my FAVOURITE topic; Cairngorm.
Good god, what a bitch. From the moment he decided to divert his attention to that fucking Lunarian Prince I was disgusted. Man I can't even with this one. Clearly he's being manipulated, the Prince is feeling lonely and Cairngorm can soothe his loneliness (which is great for Cairngorm as he only wants undying affection but nonetheless pisses me off). Phos couldn't give that to him because he morns for Antarcticite and desperately wants him back. Cairngorm literally just dropped Phosphophyllite as soon as he found someone else to fill the void in his heart that was probably created after the death of Lapis Lazuli which is fucked up on another level.
To end this on a somewhat positive note..
Padparadscha is such a babeeee, although he doesn't really understand what Phos is going he nonetheless sympathises and sees just how much in pain he is and tries his best to help him while not pushing his limits too far. I think this stems from the fact that Padparadscha is one of the eldest gems and his 'defective' torso enables him to understand certain aspects of what Phos is feeling.
Bless the babe, always trying hard for Phos even though he knows all of this is best left alone but he can't say anything to Phos who is now so wrapped up in seeking revenge.
Haruko Ichikawa is a mad genius, every chapter hits home to some extent and I think every human being can relate to at least a couple things in this masterpiece. Chapeau to him for understanding human pain and to successfully depict different aspects of it.