The Curse of the Golden Blossom is a phenomenon that has been associated with a particular flower, the golden blossom. This curse is said to bring misfortune and despair to anyone who possesses or comes into contact with this flower. The golden blossom is believed to have a beautiful appearance, but holds a dark secret within its petals. According to legend, the curse originated from a long-forgotten kingdom where the golden blossom was revered as a symbol of beauty and power. However, the ruler of the kingdom abused his authority and used the flower to manipulate and control his subjects. Angered by his actions, the gods placed a curse on the golden blossom, ensuring that anyone who possessed it would suffer greatly.
Angered by his actions, the gods placed a curse on the golden blossom, ensuring that anyone who possessed it would suffer greatly. The curse is said to bring destruction and tragedy to those who possess the golden blossom. It is believed that the flower brings illness, death, and other misfortunes to its owner and their loved ones.
Understanding Trope Subversion: Redo of Healer vs The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic
To say most anime rely on a consistent set of tropes is a massive understatement. A lot of the time anime can feel like nothing but a series of copy and pastes, similar if not identical settings between 10 new shows in the same genre that look the same as 10 shows from the year before in the same genre. The same character archetypes endlessly rehashed in the same genre and possibly even entire medium, even certain poses which appear so often as to be ubiquitous. Perhaps this is why when something that feels new and fresh steps up to the plate, a lot of people are understandably excited. It heralds an opportunity to see the medium grow in new and possibly interesting ways, for tropes to change, new tropes to arise and even for some tropes to vanish forever. Pop culture and its many critics have come to love the word subversion – generally meaning an unexpected twist on something familiar. I however find this love of subversion somewhat misguided. Don’t get me wrong I’m as happy for something new as anyone else but sadly there comes a time in your life when you become a jaded motherfucker and realize that subversion itself can become trendy and a lot of shitty shows based around subverting the tried and true formulas will arise to make a quick a buck. There will be minor spoilers for IPs mentioned in the title, you’ve been warned.
One of the best examples of this going wrong is magical girls. Madoka Magica came out and shocked the anime world. This bright, cutesy magical girl show took a sudden dark turn and everyone ate that shit up. And fair enough, I loved it too, I think it was very well made in all aspects – visually unique and impressive, the story and emotional through-lines well delivered, etc. But shortly thereafter a bunch of “dark” and “edgy” magical girl shows started coming out. Suddenly there were magical girl death games, abused girls becoming magical girls, magical girl wars, and so on and so forth. And most of those are not so fondly remembered, if they’re remembered at all. That’s not to say all of them were shit, some of them might have been good, I can’t really say I’ve never been much into the magical girl scene. But I can confidently say that a lot of garbage shows based around a dark subversion of the magical girl genre popped up as a fad, and thankfully it’s mostly dead now – or at least fewer obviously bad shows in that vein are being pumped out.
I would say isekai, a genre that is bloated with a seemingly endless number of shows with no sign of slowing down, is going through a similar phase now. It’s not quite a pronounced as magical girl one is but the ultra dark, edgy and brutal isekais are coming out of the woodwork. Goblin Slayer is the first one I would point to in this particular trend, though depending on how you want to define the subversion Re:Zero’s first season would be another good starting point, and the big one now is of course Redo of Healer. And it sucks. Were this blog at all popular I might get some ire for saying that. Shit I still might, considering how long my mini-feud with the Overlord fandom (another possible starting point in the trend now that I think about it) has gone on for. Regardless I don’t think my argument here is at all a big sell. Redo of Healer is ultra edgy revenge porn. It’s full of rape, brainwashing, murder and a bunch of other horrible things in a world full of humans so comically evil that you almost have to laugh at how upfront the story is. The story attempts to justify the main character in his edgequest by brutalizing him in the prologue about as hard as you can expect anyone to take but still survive. It’s hot garbage but it can be darkly entertaining or cathartic garbage. I’m up to date on the manga btw, so I’m not just dunking on something I know very little about. In fact I don’t even hate Redo of Healer, I’m not above indulging in some entertaining garbage from time to time, in fact garbage shows can be the most fun sometimes. The anime is somehow even worse than the manga though because it takes this hot garbage story and brings it to life with some of the most terrible production values I’d ever seen, at least until Ex-Arm lowered the bar on terrible looking anime forever. I dropped the anime a couple minutes in. Hated the VA for the MC, thought his voice didn’t match the kind of character the MC would become and it was hard to look at the show before the rape train started.
Sexual content and general attitude of Redo of Healer aside, one of the big things it hinges on is a massive subversion of the Healer character trope. Everyone born since D&D was created knows that healers are generally passive support types with pretty limited abilities. They tend to be extremely important but they have a narrowly defined role and that’s that. Redo of Healer attempts to break this mold by basically redefining what Healer and healing magic means in the context of this specific fantasy world. Now it’s not uncommon for healers to have some offensive abilities roughly in line with their healing abilities – they could be able to cast inflict wounds and heal wounds for example – but Redo of Healer basically overhauls the entire concept of healing magic while leaving the base idea intact. And it sucks. Not so much because it’s trying to ascribe new powers to healing per se, but because the changes are basically a matter of narrative convenience. The author clearly had a type of story in mind and went about creating a world and powerset with that story in mind – and with the subtlety of a fucking brick to the face. Everything from the blatant cruelty world to bizarre aspects of “healing” which really stretch and strain at our common conception of healing (like turning back time or learning the skills of the people you’ve healed) are all there to make the author’s story possible. It doesn’t feel like a story that arises naturally out of a setting, it’s a setting that has been twisted and broken to fit the story. It’s just really shitty writing. Which is why the Healer subversion they should have made an anime out of was The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic, henceforth Wrong Way.
Part of makes Wrong Way so great is that it doesn’t really change the core mechanics of healing at all. If anything it’s almost entirely limited to traditional healing, no inflict wounds even, at least not in the manga. Instead Wrong Way takes the common conception of healing magic and changes how it’s used tactically to create a Healer who is almost the total opposite of the healer stereotype. The big hook if you will of Wrong Way is that the MC, and his mentor who comes up with the idea, basically use healing magic to abuse their bodies to shit and get swol in the process. They both undergo grueling training that would break the human body, and continuously use healing on themselves while doing so not just survive the training intact but keep it going far beyond what a non-healer could ever do, thus building muscles and endurance with abnormal speed and to inhuman limits. And it’s hilarious. The MC and his mentor both have monstrous strength, speed and stamina that makes them a terror on the battlefield. And they can still heal people as needed. There are way too many differences between Wrong Way and Redo of Healer to get into without a lot of spoilers but to put it simply what makes Wrong Way interesting it that used a common trope in a clever way to tell a new type of story that stills seems well within the common bounds of the isekai genre. And Redo of Healer rewrote the trope entirely to tell a story for what feels like a very different genre.
This is not to say attempting to edit a trope, to stretch it beyond it’s usual bounds is bad in and of itself of course. The time reversal example I cited before actually shows up in reverse in Accel World where a girl is thought to be a healer when she’s actually turning back time, and uses the mistaken perception of her power to turn the tables on the series villain. So it’s not totally beyond the bounds of convention. That being said the main problem with Redo of Healer in this regard is that it’s too extreme and not just with all the rape and whatnot. It’s making such a laundry list of changes to Healing and Healers that it is very hard to take seriously as an interesting or even genuine subversion of the trope. I can scarcely imagine anyone thinks it’s clever or eye-opening the way Madoka Magica was to magical girl shows. A large part of that has to do with surrounding story and hideous anime, but a key component here is that Redo of Healer is just a terrible subversion of the tropes it builds itself around. It’s not an innovative or interesting take a well-trodden path, it’s just crass writing, crudely smashed together to tell the garbage story it wants to tell. And for the people who love it that’s good enough I suppose, I must admit I’ve been losing interest in Redo of Healer for some time now, but we should celebrate when someone does it better. Hence why I wanted to talked about Wrong Way even if just a little. Because Wrong Way subverts the tropes well, not by re-writing the rules of trope, but changing how it is used to tell a different kind of story. And the results speak for themselves, I’m always looking forward to the next chapter of Wrong Way, I’m more or less at the point I want to drop Redo of Healer. Sure that’s just my personal take, but I do believe I’m onto something here. See y’all in the next one.
This is not to say attempting to edit a trope, to stretch it beyond it’s usual bounds is bad in and of itself of course. The time reversal example I cited before actually shows up in reverse in Accel World where a girl is thought to be a healer when she’s actually turning back time, and uses the mistaken perception of her power to turn the tables on the series villain. So it’s not totally beyond the bounds of convention. That being said the main problem with Redo of Healer in this regard is that it’s too extreme and not just with all the rape and whatnot. It’s making such a laundry list of changes to Healing and Healers that it is very hard to take seriously as an interesting or even genuine subversion of the trope. I can scarcely imagine anyone thinks it’s clever or eye-opening the way Madoka Magica was to magical girl shows. A large part of that has to do with surrounding story and hideous anime, but a key component here is that Redo of Healer is just a terrible subversion of the tropes it builds itself around. It’s not an innovative or interesting take a well-trodden path, it’s just crass writing, crudely smashed together to tell the garbage story it wants to tell. And for the people who love it that’s good enough I suppose, I must admit I’ve been losing interest in Redo of Healer for some time now, but we should celebrate when someone does it better. Hence why I wanted to talked about Wrong Way even if just a little. Because Wrong Way subverts the tropes well, not by re-writing the rules of trope, but changing how it is used to tell a different kind of story. And the results speak for themselves, I’m always looking forward to the next chapter of Wrong Way, I’m more or less at the point I want to drop Redo of Healer. Sure that’s just my personal take, but I do believe I’m onto something here. See y’all in the next one.
Some accounts even claim that the curse extends beyond the physical realm, affecting the spiritual and mental well-being of the individual. Throughout history, many tales and stories have emerged surrounding the curse of the golden blossom. Some individuals are believed to have become obsessed with finding the flower, driven by its allure and the promise of power it holds. However, they ultimately meet a tragic end, paying the price for their greed and ambition. Despite the warnings and tales of the curse, there are still those who seek out the golden blossom, hoping to harness its power or simply captivated by its beauty. Some even believe that by possessing the flower, they will be able to break the curse and transform it into a blessing. However, these individuals often find themselves engulfed in a web of despair and regret. The Curse of the Golden Blossom serves as a cautionary tale, warning against the dangers of desire and the pursuit of power. It reminds us that sometimes what appears to be beautiful and enticing may hold a dark secret within. It is a reminder to tread carefully and consider the consequences before becoming entangled in the allure of the unknown..
Reviews for "The Curse of the Golden Blossom: A Love Story Turned Nightmare"
1. John - 2 stars - I was really looking forward to watching "Curse of the Golden Blossom" as I am a fan of historical dramas. However, I was sorely disappointed. The storyline lacked depth and was extremely predictable. The characters were one-dimensional with no significant development throughout the film. Additionally, the pacing of the movie was incredibly slow, making it difficult to maintain interest. Overall, I found "Curse of the Golden Blossom" to be a lackluster film in the genre and would not recommend it to others.
2. Sarah - 1 star - "Curse of the Golden Blossom" was one of the worst films I have ever watched. The plot was convoluted and confusing, making it difficult to follow and understand what was happening. The acting was also subpar, with many of the performances feeling forced and unnatural. It was clear that the film tried to rely on its visuals, but even those were disappointing. The costumes and set design were excessive and overdone, distracting from the already weak storyline. I regret wasting my time watching this film and would not recommend it to anyone.
3. Michael - 2 stars - I had high expectations for "Curse of the Golden Blossom" after hearing positive reviews, but unfortunately, I found it to be quite underwhelming. The film had potential with its intriguing premise, but it failed to capitalize on it. The pacing was inconsistent, with long periods of slow development followed by rushed sequences that left me feeling unsatisfied. The characters, while initially interesting, lacked depth and their motivations were unclear. Additionally, the excessive use of violence and gore felt gratuitous and took away from the overall viewing experience. Overall, "Curse of the Golden Blossom" fell short of its potential and left me disappointed.
4. Jessica - 2 stars - "Curse of the Golden Blossom" had beautiful cinematography and stunning visuals, but that's where the positives end. The storyline was confusing and difficult to follow, with multiple subplots that were never fully developed or resolved. The characters were forgettable, lacking any real depth or relatability. The excessive use of violence and brutality was disturbing and took away from any enjoyment I could have derived from the film. While I appreciate the effort put into the visual aspects of the movie, it was not enough to salvage the overall disappointing experience. I would not recommend "Curse of the Golden Blossom" to anyone seeking an engaging and coherent story.