Hello there, just an observation but when Yomo is attacking Arima with lightning… if you look at Yomo’s hand, there is a reversed 4 isn’t it? :S

hysyartmaskstudio:

Ah yes, here we are again trying to suss out what is artistic flourish, what is merely part of the composition, and what is deliberately placed tarot numbers and symbolism.

This one is particularly hard because this?

This is chock full of Ishida’s artistic flourishes and chaotic bits of movement lines and special effects squiggles and shapes.

Before I continue, a few necessary caveats for this post. First, the one I try to put on every tarot post that tarot is designed to be very vague and open to interpretation. It is designed based on archetypes and universal themes found both in fiction and in real life, so it is often possible to find an application for a cards meaning in a situation just because of the openness of the interpretation and the universality of the themes. Especially in real life, where everything is always multifaceted and complicated, and in fiction that does well in emulating the complexity of real life.

The second caveat comes from literary theory – namely reader response theory – which states that there is meaning to find in any text beyond or regardless of the intent of the author. Or in the specific case, regardless of whether a specific set of lines is an intentional tarot number, as readers, we can still use the universal themes and archetypes on any given tarot card to find additional meaning in a scene.

Which is to say that even if something isn’t a tarot number, pretending it is might still give us insight into the scene, and conversely, just because pretending something is a tarot number gives us insight into the scene, doesn’t mean it is an intended tarot number.

With all that out of the way, let’s look at Renji’s hand –

My first thought is no, that isn’t a tarot number 4 – it’s just the composition of the shape and creases of Renji’s hand, mainly because the tarot numbers tend to be very deliberate and complete lines. Compare this to the 2 in Renji’s hair in the previous chapter, which is clearly set apart from the rest of the lines and shading that make up his hair.

In fact, I’d almost be more inclined to argue it’s a 7 but the one line shifts into fading. And there are no mirror image or sideways standard readings for tarot.

There’s also the fact that the reverse 4 doesn’t fit this situation all that well unless we are meant to project it not on Renji or his situation (which is odd, given that he’s the subject of the chapter) but onto Kaneki, who shows up on the next page, or Arima, who he’s attacking. The 4 is the Emperor, and it’s a huge Father Figures and Authority card. It’s about masculine figures and masculine roles from father figure to domination. In the reverse, it’s about excessive control, rigidity, inflexibility and domination. 

It’s a very Arima Kishou card, so if you think this is meant as a tarot, then take note that Yomo, the best, most supportive and emotionally well reasoned guide Kaneki had is pointing it along with a physical attack at Arima Kishou, the, uh… Arima Kishou…

But since you sent me tarot hunting around Renji’s hand, did you notice the possible reverse 17 up there?

The Star is a very fitting card for this situation (and, if you think we’re following the Fool’s Journey, then it’s the step we’re at and the one standing between the obvious Tower of the Tsukiyama Operation, and the ever exciting Moon arc…).

Upright, it means:

Hope, spirituality, renewal, inspiration, serenity [x]

Everything Renji just got done saying that Touka and Ayato mean to him. In reverse, (what Arima and the threat of losing them represents), the star means

Lack of faith, despair, discouragement

If that is supposed to be a reverse 17, I wonder if that isn’t supposed to be one of several arc numbers we might get, though I don’t really remember those being too much of a thing in the past.

Still – the upright and reverse meanings of the Star might be things to think about in this arc, and probably also the Rushima one. I imagine those meanings and the contrasts between the two might continue to be major themes. They certainly have been so far between Kaneki’s lack of faith, Renji’s whole inner monologue about inspiration and hope and despair and such, and all sorts of reunions…