IRyS, a half-demon, half-angel also known as a Nephilim, once brought hope to “The Paradise” during the ancient age. Her full name is ███████ Irys. This current era, riddled with despair and desperation, has brought upon her second awakening. She has arrived to deliver hope, with her feelings put into her lyrics and songs, and determination in her voice.
Caesura of Despair
Irys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hope has descended and you are not alone
虹と雨が織り成すコントラスト
絶望の終わりを願うように
ここにいるよ 歌っているよ
夜明けの果てを
凍えた過去と涙にさよなら
きっと despair 晴れるように歌うから
そして make a wish 艶やかに飾るから
Darkness will fade away, hope will lead your way
I'm here to chant the melodies for you
月と星が彩るサテライト
暗闇も君となら飛べるよ
夜だからこそ輝ける光もあるでしょう
忘れないで 君のためのセレナーデ
壊れかけた夢の続きをここで見よう
'Cause I found your story
Time is running too fast and
I'm left behind in solitude
駆け足でいこう 黒い海に沈む君の手に届け
奏でよう未来の足音でオーケストラ
懐かしくも碧い歌で 鼓動で
夜明けが聴こえる
Believe in destiny 約束を果たすから
いつか reunion 語りきれない時代で
嘆きも後悔も笑い飛ばそうよ
そんな轍に希望と名付けよう
きっと despair 晴れるように歌うから
そしてmake a wish 艶やかに飾るから
君だけの声と重ねるように
こんな世界だってそばにいるよ
Darkness will fade away, iris will light your way
Our journey has only just begun right now
The lyrics of Irys's song Caesura of Despair utilizes vivid imagery and poetic phrases to convey a message of hope and support. The opening line "Darkness will fade away, light will guide your way" shows that the song is meant to inspire and uplift the listener. The idea of hope descending shows that it is a force to be reckoned with and that the listener is not alone in their struggles. The contrast between the rainbow and rain in "虹と雨が織り成すコントラスト" represents how life is filled with both joy and sorrow, but hope can bring an end to despair.
The lyrics also use personification to describe the passing of time in "Time is running too fast and I'm left behind in solitude." The line "Believe in destiny 約束を果たすから" reinforces the idea that the listener should trust that things will work out and that their dreams will come true. The refrain of "Darkness will fade away, hope will lead your way" reinforces the central message of the song, that no matter what the listener is going through, hope will help them find their way.
Overall, Caesura of Despair is a song that encourages the listener to keep going no matter what, with the promise of hope and better days ahead. It reinforces the importance of having faith in oneself and trusting that things will work out in the end.
Line by Line Meaning
Darkness will fade away, light will guide your way
The troubles will pass and the bright light of hope shall guide you forward
Hope has descended and you are not alone
Hope is present in your life, so do not feel isolated and unsupported
The contrast woven by the rainbow and the rain
The meeting of the iridescent rainbow and the rainy downpour symbolizes the beauty and tragedy of life
Praying for the end of despair
Aspiring for a time beyond feelings of hopelessness and sadness
I am here, singing
You are not alone, I will serenade and comfort you
Until the end of dawn
Singing through the darkness until the breaking of day
The elegy call of the twilight that has spilled over
Mourning the lost moments of the past and having to say goodbye through one's tears
Say 'despair' and sing as if it will clear up
Sing passionately, almost as if the act of singing can dispel despair and darkness
And make a wish to decorate it gorgeously
Make a wish and embellish it with beauty
Darkness will fade away, hope will lead your way
The darkness and sorrow will lift and hope will guide you forward
I'm here to chant the melodies for you
I am present to sing and offer comfort through the lyrics
The satellite colored by the moon and stars
An object in the vast sky that is illuminated by celestial bodies, representing the possibility of light in dark times
You can fly in the darkness with me
Together, even in the darkest moments, we can persevere and carry on
Even in the night, there must be some light that shines
Even during the darkest times, there is still the possibility of light and hope
Do not forget the serenade for you
Remember that there are those who care and want to sing for you
Let us continue the broken dream here
Let us work together to finish unfinished business and make something new
Because I found your story
Because I have discovered your unique narrative and who you are
Time is running too fast and
Time seems to be passing by too quickly and without regard for our internal struggles
I'm left behind in solitude
I feel alone and unable to catch up with the hectic pace of time
Let us run in haste and reach out to your hand, which is sinking in the dark sea
Let us hurry up and join with you, who feels lost and overwhelmed
Orchestrate a melody for the future and its footsteps
Produce a musical arrangement for the future and the steps it is taking
With blue nostalgia, let your heartbeat be the rhythm
Dance and sing to the rhythm of your heartbeat and past memories
You can hear the dawn
You can sense the new beginnings and hope that the sunrise brings
Believe in destiny and fulfill the promise
Have faith in destiny and live up to the fulfillment of one's destiny
Speak of reunion in times that cannot be described
Deliberate on coming together at a time neither placed in the past nor present
Let us laugh off despair, regret, and tears
Let us rebel against despair, regret, and tears with the power of laughter
Name that rut hope
Call any situation, no matter how bleak, a moment of hope
Say 'despair' and sing as if it will clear up
Sing passionately, almost as if the act of singing can dispel despair and darkness
And make a wish to decorate it gorgeously
Make a wish and embellish it with beauty
So that I can overlap with your voice
I want to harmonize with your voice and stories, and become one with you
Even in such a world, I am here beside you
Even in the darkest of times, I will continue to be by your side
Darkness will fade away, iris will light your way
The darkness and sorrow will lift and the flower 'Iris' will guide you forward
Our journey has only just begun right now
We are only getting started now, so hold on tight for the journey ahead
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: buzzG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@enmavirus4446
I may have over analyzed this MV way too freaking hard that it broke my spirit. But hey, at least I did something.
THE TITLE: CAESURA OF DESPAIR
The term “caesura” is synonymous to terms like break, halt, interruption, hiatus, or pause. The title can then be rewritten as “Pause of Despair” or “Break of Despair”. The word comes from the Latin word “caes-“, meaning “cut” or “hewn”.
How does this title relate to her lore? The nature of Nephilims.
THE NEPHILIMS
Nephilims are debatable, what describes them varies from book to book. The word itself was first used in the Bible, with its Hebrew term “nefilim” literally meaning “fallen ones”. The Greek and Latin translations of the Bible defined nephilims as “giants”. One would rather assume that IRyS is a “fallen angel”, and I do believe too. However, there is one reason why I considered the idea of “giants” over “fallen angels”: the term “caesura”.
“Caesura” is Latin, so the possibility that something about the giants can be used to know more about the story of IRyS instead of the “fallen angels” backstory had occurred to me. It truly does not make sense how IRyS would be a giant if she is just 166 cm tall, but analyzing the reasoning behind the Greeks’ use of the term “giants” instead of “fallen ones” does provide me an insight of IRyS’s character.
In a literal sense, IRyS would be more of an fallen angel. However, her character or profile seems to stem from the giants. More specifically, why did the Greeks use “giants” instead of “angels” in their translations of the Bible? One of the reasons is so that the readers can understand and relate more to what was being read, but what made the translators choose “giants” amongst the many more other mythos that they could use is the similarity between the Hebrew “nefilims” and giants. Yes, giants and fallen angels do bear similarities that seems to be inherent in IRyS’s profile as well. The Greek translators chose to define nephilims as giants due to the fact that both entities are liminal in nature, meaning that their “desgination” as a “race” is ambiguous at best. This attribute alludes not only to the ambiguity on whether IRyS should be designated as a devil or an angel, but also to what her true role is to the world which will be discussed later on.
What makes me think that the story of having to choose two “races” or “designations” valid? The design and the profile.
(continuation in the replies)
@enmavirus4446
THE PROFILE
“IRyS, a half-demon, half-angel also known as a Nephilim, once brought hope to ‘The Paradise’ during the ancient age. This current era, riddled with despair and desperation, has brought upon her second awakening. She has arrived to deliver hope, with her feelings put into her lyrics and songs, and determination in her voice.”
I am not one to question too much about her timing, but past eras have went through many more horrid crisis. The only thing that I am wondering about her “second awakening”, which would imply that she had awoken before, is the reason why she had decided to wake up just during these times.
“Though she tends to retain her Nephilim form, she is still quite young within her race. With emotion and ‘other factors’, it is possible that her form may lean to either side. When that occurs, she bears a brief change in her appearance.”
This is again once talked about in the passage discussing the designation of Nephilims. It highlights how IRyS is generally an “ambiguous entity” when put in the grand scope of theology, yet it is possible that she will transition to either side when exposed to specific circumstances.
“She does not speak of the events that preceded her second awakening. She faces ever forward, perhaps because she is Hope Incarnate, though no one knows for sure. Or could it be...”
It is indeed oddly suspicious that she does not want to recall her past, and it does not imply in any way that she had forgotten about it. This could only mean two things: she hates her past, or she is shy of her past. However, considering that she is willing to make herself known to the world at this point, even more so by proclaiming that she is the Hope Incarnate, being shy about anything, whether it is from bringing hope or “something else”, goes against her entire goal. If we are to assume that she did something that she hated in the past, we only know that she had awakened twice: today and the ancient age. The profile clearly states that she had done her job of bringing hope in her first awakening, so what would she hate to talk about her successful past? It would pose the same question from before: what did she really do? What is her purpose?
“The future is not what helps people; the future is made with our own hands.
Salvation is hypocrisy. If people know they are to be saved, they simply will not try.
From the depths of despair: a glimmer of light, the warmth of recovery.
As long as we are with hope, we live. We stand tall.”
A selection that is obviously something that would be said by someone who is designated as a “Hope Incarnate”, aside from the second statement that is. An incarnate of hope, who wishes for everyone’s salvation, would go on to say that what she strives for is hypocrisy. Another detail that questions what her true role is, it could be that she is tasked to bring hope or destroy hope. Or both.
As mentioned before, IRyS’s true designation lies on a balance that is affected by numerous factors such as emotion. She can become angelic, but she can become a devil. For the current time, I think that she is “currently” designated as a Hope Incarnate. Me saying that she is “currently designated” implies the existence of another designation for her, in theory of mine: a Despair Incarnate. This would actually not change her job, but add another job to her resume: to bring despair.
It is indeed probable that what IRyS hates to talk about is not her past as the Hope Incarnate, but as the Despair Incarnate. If one would remember what she had said in her debut stream, she had stated that she spent a very long time asleep before she woke up in the modern era. It is possible that her “Hope Incarnate self” went to sleep, while the “Despair Incarnate self” woke up. The idea of having two selves is mainly backed up by the design passage I wrote earlier and the music video that we will talk about soon. The term “ancient age” does not reveal much about when she first woke up, but we can say for certain that she was asleep during the times the world was literally thrown into chaos, revolutions and wars. These warring times could have been the work of her “Despair Incarnate self” living her life as the harbinger of despair. This would provide reason as to why IRyS, who is currently a Hope Incarnate, hate talking about her past as she regrets doing what “she” had done to whom she was supposed to save.
Why is she currently the Hope Incarnate and not the antithesis? Her character and the music video.
@enmavirus4446
THE MUSIC VIDEO
1. The Lyrics and the Story
“Darkness will fade away. Light will guide your way.”
At this point, I would call the “angelic Hopeful Incarnate” IRyS “Hope IRyS”, while I would call her Despair counterpart “Despair IRyS”. During this segment, Despair IRyS displayed an expression of annoyance rather than hope, which is further evidenced by the purple crystal shown and the camera zooming out of her right purple eye, signifying that this is what she wanted. What she wanted will be revealed in the next lyrics.
“Hope has descended and you are not alone.”
IRyS stands atop the Tokyo Tower in a busy metropolitan city. The camera zooming out and revealing the city in full looks like a diorama, which also happens to be the title of her second song in the EP. This does not equate to anything, but I was just thinking if there is a connection even though minimal.
“In the contrast woven by rainbow and rain, I wish for an end to your despair.”
Despair IRyS smiles, and not in a good way. The smile seems to imply that she is proud something that she had done, which was revealed in the next frame: a post-apocalyptic world, which is exactly what she wanted. Hope IRyS stands in the middle of the ruins, observing and watching what “she” had done and what she had come to hate.
“So here I am, and here I sing, for the dawn for a new day.”
Despair IRyS “transitions” to Hope IRyS. I am no Japanese nor do I know how to speak one, but it is important to take note that Hope IRyS is singing (as in mouth is moving) the part of the song that states “she is here”. The color scheme also switches from a dark purple theme to a much brighter cyan theme. This time, the camera zooms out of IRyS’s left blue eye, signifying that this atmosphere and feeling is what Hope IRyS wanted.
“Shout out the elegy of Ragnarok.”
An elegy is a poem about lamentation for the death. Ragnarok is the famous end-of-the-world scenario in Norse mythology, but this is also a metaphor to a conflict between polar opposites which would be Despair IRyS and Hope IRyS. Though I would say that her two sides are not really angry at each other, they are more like in a state of agreeable coexistence but still harbor dislike towards each other’s preferences. This can also be interpreted as IRyS bringing “death” or halt to all conflicts.
“Bid farewell to your tears and your icebound past,"
It is interesting to see how Despair IRyS is willing to do what she wants to do with her readying herself to snap and all, but Hope IRyS seems to be broken for committing the act yet not being able to do anythign to stop it. This could symbolize how Hope IRyS, despite being “asleep”, can still see the acts committed by her antithesis from her point of view. The scene also tries to recreate the same scenario: Despair IRyS is about to do something, and Hope IRyS is grieving that “she” is doing this that is implied by her having the same posture and “ready act” as Despair IRyS.
The lyric is at it wants to say. IRyS will bring hope to cleanse of human’s tears and their horrid past. However, the lyrics could also be Despair IRyS’s message to Hope IRyS where she reassures Hope IRyS that she does not need to cry anymore at the past “she” had done as it now her turn to give hope once more. Despair IRyS is heavily emphasized by her mouthing the words “sayonara” at 0:58.
“Because I’ll sing away and brighten your skies.”
At this part, Despair IRyS snaps her fingers and turns the city into a dark-themed desolate city. This stunt put a smile on her face at 1:03, though it is interesting to take note that the white stars in her “star halo” were gone when Despair IRyS was in full control during the same timestamp. This could be more a production error later on, since the “star halo” was complete when Hope IRyS did her schtick.
*“So make a wish, and I’ll put it on stage to captivate you.” *
Despair IRyS’s act made Hope IRyS weep from her left blue eye, in pain of what had beocme before her. She kicks in control (not forcibly) to bring light to the dark world Despair IRyS had created. This is obviously Hope IRyS sticking to the lyrics before this segment about brightening the skies.
“Darkness will fade away.”
Despair IRyS stands atop the tower, overlooking the dark city.
“Hope will lead your way.”
Hope IRyS stands atop the tower, overlooking a bright city. It is interesting that before this solo scene of Hope IRyS, a pair of crystals (from her wings) shows the two faces or sides of IRyS. The right side of the face where her purple eye is, signifying that this is her Despair self, with eyes open. And the left side of her face where her blue eye is, signifying that this is her Hope self, with eyes closed. I think this image tells that Despair IRyS is still awake, and Hope IRyS has not awoken yet.
“I’m here to chant the melodies for you-”
Despair IRyS falls off the building, the reason why I think that is Despair IRyS is because of th dark-color theme of the city at the time. I also find it funny that for a nephilim who hates heights, falling off from a heighty infrastructure sounds like an easy task for her spirit.
I think that this is where Despair IRyS finally sleeps or takes a break (her “caesura”), with her closing her eyes and making the dramatic fall and all. The scene at 1:30 where Hope IRyS looks back is Despair IRyS coming to her, ready to switch places with her. Hope IRyS finally became the default self happened the moment IRyS opened her eyes once again, along with the dark-color theme of the atmosphere transitioning to a bright one. It is also somehow fitting that there was the camera showed the left side of her face with her eyes open this time, even though she is falling, which is a callback to the previous scene where she remains asleep.
Back in the post-apocalyptic setting, the two separate personas of IRyS, as the Despair Incarnate and the Hope Incarnate, meet at last.
@enmavirus4446
THE MUSIC VIDEO
2. The Flower that Rots and Flourishes
A purple flower with white petal interiors and a yellow bud is seen occassionally in the MV. In the early parts of the films, its petals could be seen being carried over by the wind. Towards the end of the MV, the same flower is shown slowly rotting away only for it to fluorish when the mornign sun came out.
For context, the flower is an iris, a clear reference to her name. What makes me wonder is the specific color of the iris flower: purple. Because in floral symbolism, purple iris flowers symbolize royalty, wisdom, and valued friendship. While I do not have any qualms on whether IRyS has those traits, I find it odd that she did not use the blue iris flower, which represents faith and hope. Nevertheless, another website had indicated that the general idea is that irises symbolize hope. I could not find any other significance for the choosing a purple iris flower aside from aesthetic value, the only exception being that the purple iris flower were planted on a woman’s grave back in Ancient Greece.
3. The End Passage
The passage at the end, “lasciate ogne speranza”, means “abandon all hope”. This is the same phrase that was inscribed on the entrance of hell featured in Dante’s Inferno which is “lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'entrate”, meaning “abandon all hope, ye who enter”. Ending the MV with an ominous phrase that goes against the idea of “all there is is hope” seals the deal that IRyS has two roles: as the Hope Incarnate and the Despair Incarnate.
@antim3ta678
IRys: falls off Tokyo tower
Ame: ''Do a flip"
@meguminchan3298
This is canon and no one can tell me otherwise
@yoshiwav
hope is lost if this ain’t canon
@ShiroPlayGames5
gremlins "sfx"
@shoshin854
Ame: "do it again"
@proxyhx2075
That's something she would actually say in the heat of the moment tbh..
@dimlylitmoon
"Hope has descended and is coming for you"
- Irys, 2021, while chasing zombie idol after being pranked by her
@phucnguyenhong4564
Now the sentence: hope has descended hits different now
@mephilesthedarks
Hololive has that unique aura where stuff that makes people happy all of a sudden makes them terrified.
@zenzen2449
More like
Lighter will fade away
Darkness will blind your way
Despair has descend and you are alone