Hey, there’s gonna be a bunch of spoilers. If you still haven’t read all of Divergent Sun and Moon, what are you doing here?
When I first came up with the idea, it was simply meant to be “Tsukuyomi’s backstory.” But once I actually started writing it, it slowly evolved into something more. It got increasingly complex as I started weaving it the worldbuilding elements and the idea of Tsukuyomi’s brother, Kagutsuchi. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to you if you looked through my lore carefully but Kagutsuchi is Enma. In this story, I wanted to uncover Enma’s hidden past and who he once was before he became a darkness that plagues the world. He didn’t become evil strictly for “just cause,” but because there was an innate reason. I’m going to cover a few of my thoughts while writing it and some interpretations of the characters and story.
Divergent Sun and Moon (DSaM) is centered around a single question: What does it mean to be a god?
There are three central characters that answer this question: Tsukuyomi, Kagutsuchi, and Rinze.
For Tsukuyomi, it means to carry the world on your shoulders.
For Kagutsuchi, it means overwhelming power.
And for Rinze, it means learning that a god’s emotions are not weakness.
Tsukuyomi’s biggest flaw is that he believes that he should carry all the burden. He is a compassionate and determined dragon that doesn’t want others to get hurt. In DSaM, he learns to confront his past with his brother, and yet his final decision is still one of self-sacrifice. His problem is that he’s too nice. He doesn’t hesitate to intervene if someone’s in trouble. And even after he’s become a god, his biggest flaw is still there.
Kagutsuchi was proud, confident, and protective in the beginning. But underneath that, he was hiding a deep insecurity. He wants to get stronger and prove himself, eventually leading him down the path you witness in the story. He sought power but it came at a huge cost. He lost his brother, the one thing he yearned for. He lost his authority and is exiled to the Demon Realm. Then, he is reborn as Enma. His character arc is far from over. I’m planning to write more about his experience in the Demon Realm and his rise to power, but that will, of course, come later.
Rinze’s arc is more subtle than the other two. Initially, I wasn’t planning to involve Rinze as much as I did, but then I realized how far I could go with the master-student dynamic. I thought, “what if the god of wisdom still had something she needed to learn?” So I implemented that in the story. The tragic part is she only realized her emotions for Tsukuyomi after he erased himself. She no longer remembers him. Only the feeling is left.
I’m going to admit something here… I didn’t really know what I was doing while writing the beginning of the story. I had no idea what direction I wanted the story to go. I actually planted a bunch of quotes/lines at the start that I thought sounded cool and could use for later. For example, Kagutsuchi’s “though the sun may set…” line. For me, I was like “ooh, sounds symbolic as heck. Gonna save that for later.” I mean, I did use it for later but not in the way I expected in the beginning. I guess it worked out though? The foreshadowing is real, guys.
There is a strong theme of light and darkness (which can be attributed to the title). Tsukuyomi and Kagutsuchi’s paths strayed from the beginning. However, the sun and moon are not separate. They are complementary. When Kagutsuchi’s sun disappears, the moon does not replace it. It illuminates the darkness in its absence. This perfectly represents Tsukuyomi’s character. He doesn’t want to replace his brother. He wants to find him and bring him back.
If someone disappears, does that mean what they meant to you disappears too? No, it doesn’t. The imprint they left on you is deeply ingrained. Even if both Rinze and Kagutsuchi forgot Tsukuyomi, their feelings for him still linger. He left something behind, even if the memory is gone.
There are also a bunch of mysteries that I’ve left unanswered. I’m sure you’re curious as to what happened to the all the moon dragons and who the mysterious voice in Kagutsuchi’s head is. Gonna be real, I don’t really know either. Right now, they’re existing as plot devices to move the story forward. But in due time, I will reveal the answers.
How will DSaM impact the rest of the story? DSaM takes place approximately ~2000 years before the “main” story. It currently exists as a prequel that sets up a lot of things that happen in the future. Nobody remembers the moon god, Tsukuyomi, or his sacrifice. They look at the Disaster of the Shattered Crown and only see Kagutsuchi’s demise. The moon is gone, yet it still watches over the world. Tsukuyomi’s gone off to discover the truth of the world. That’s the main takeaway I want you to have.
Something else you may notice is the name inspiration for Tsukuyomi and Kagutsuchi. Tsukuyomi is the god of the moon in Shinto mythology. If you know anything about this mythology, you might know that Amaterasu is the sun goddess and siblings with Tsukuyomi. But obviously, I didn’t choose the name Amaterasu. Why? Mostly because I didn’t think it fit Kagutsuchi’s character. I didn’t want an image of gentle sun rays but violent fires. Therefore, I chose Kagutsuchi. Kagutsuchi is a god of fire in Shinto mythology, where he represents both destructive fire and embracing warmth. I believed this duality worked much better for Kagutsuchi’s character. I didn’t really use the story of either of these gods in Shinto mythology for my own since I wanted something original. These two are the only times I chose the names of existing real life deities, while the rest are names I have chosen arbitrarily.
Okay… how do I wrap this up? Uhh… did you guys cry? I was certainly feeling it myself while writing Solar Eclipse in particular. However, I believe this is genuinely the best thing I’ve ever written. I would not hesitate to call this my magnum opus. As you can tell from this analysis, I’m very passionate about this story. So I thank you for coming along for the ride and reading this story.
I mentioned that this story was influenced by Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. I can’t really say too much on this end without spoilers. If you have read it though, you miiight notice some references or similarities.