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The second creation "Life is Like a Play" is really amazing; the selected movies fit the characters very well, and the artwork and songs are hard to criticize. However, I couldn't find any related analysis, so I can only write one myself during the holiday. (This article is truly a ten-thousand-word analysis)

However, my personal ability is indeed limited, and there are some scenes that I really can't find the corresponding source for, and there may even be some errors. I welcome corrections and additions in the comments section. There are also many lyrics worth discussing, and I look forward to others providing analyses as well.

It took me quite some time to research and organize the content, and I would be very happy if you could read it all ( •̀ ω •́ )✧. Some content references the comments and bullet screens from the original video, and I couldn't request authorization for each one, but I have marked the authors as much as possible.

Additionally, presenting the analysis in a graphic format may lack some readability, so it may be necessary to play the original video while watching. If anyone wants to turn this into a video, please feel free to use it, but please be sure to indicate the source, and you are also welcome to leave a link to the finished work in the comments section.

Opening Group Scene#

The frames roughly showcase the character costumes from Mondstadt to Sumeru, looking great. Some of these costumes will appear later.

Mondstadt#

In the lower right corner, a lady is holding Venti's Vision, and in the front row, there is "Albedo Jr." who wants to replace Albedo in the event task.

Liyue#

Why is there a Ruin Guard in the cinema, haha.
In the front row from left to right are the Geo Archon Zhongli, the idle cloud, and Granny Ping.

Inazuma#

Itto, why are you holding ||Gorou|| Miss Hina's standee?
The hand that is only showing in the back row is probably a friend of Kazuha, and the Vision handed to Kazuha should be the God Eye?
In the front row are Huasanli and Zheping^[4].

Sumeru#

Lumie is holding a small Nahida, so cute.
Cyno is still telling cold jokes, while Tighnari tries to cover his ears to avoid listening.

Fontaine#

Here, Paimon is thinking of sweets, which fits Fontaine's style and Paimon's gluttonous nature.
In this scene, the three Fufus are speculated as follows: Under the spotlight is the white Fufu who has played the deity for 500 years, the far left is the black Fufu who has shed the burden of divinity, and the middle one is the water deity Furina.

Natlan#

The scene of the captain and the death's governance in the last row is really shocking.
The grandmother on the right is scolding Orolon.
On the left should be Aika and Chasuka (unresolved feelings 😭).

Snezhnaya#

Here are the 11 Harbingers.
The lady is lying in the coffin, and with the girl next to her, it fits the storyboard of "Winter Night's Foolish Play" quite well.
||The doctor in the upper right corner being arranged with Scaramouche is probably a little thought from the production team.||
||By the way, the captain has been sitting in the same position since the last scene without moving. Does anyone have any clues?||

Siblings, Paimon, and Dain#

A few frames of sibling scenes flash by in the middle. Then the brother's position turns into Paimon.

Combining with Movies, Chapter by Chapter Narrative#

From 00:16 to 02:52, it combines the Eight Sufferings of Life, narrating chapter by chapter according to the seven elements, and each chapter's subtitle fits the corresponding deity's related plot. Here I directly quote the analysis from the comments section by 百味纷呈:

Birth Suffering: The pain of being born, corresponding to the Dendro Archon Nahida
Old Age Suffering: The physical and mental torment brought by aging, corresponding to the Geo Archon Zhongli
Illness Suffering: The physical and mental pain caused by illness, corresponding to the Hydro Archon Furina
Death Suffering: The fear and pain during the process of dying, corresponding to the Pyro Archon Maviqa
Love and Separation Suffering: The pain of separation from loved ones, corresponding to the Anemo Archon Venti
Encountering Hate Suffering: The trouble of having to encounter hated people or things, corresponding to the Electro Archon Raiden Shogun
Desire and Unattainable Suffering: The anguish of unfulfilled desires, corresponding to the Cryo Archon
The Suffering of the Five Aggregates: The fundamental suffering caused by the accumulation of the five aggregates (form, feeling, perception, mental formations, consciousness), which is the root cause of the previous seven sufferings, karma and reincarnation, corresponding to the twins.

And from shut 零度:

Birth Suffering: Nahida's amnesia and new life
Old Age Suffering: Zhongli's wear and tear
Illness Suffering: Furina's creation of humanity bearing original sin
Death Suffering: Maviqa's 500 years of death and time travel
Love and Separation: Venti losing friends
Encountering Hate: Raiden Shogun's isolation
Desire and Unattainable: The Cryo Archon unable to love
The Suffering of the Five Aggregates is the sum of the above seven sufferings, corresponding to the Traveler experiencing one suffering in each country they pass through.

Next, I will analyze each part in the order of the video, and the eighth chapter "The Suffering of the Five Aggregates" starting at 3:21 does not have scenes combined with the movie, so it will not be included in this section.

Chapter One: Love and Separation - Wind#

The four tasks at the title:

1. The Song of the Bard - If You Are Trapped in a Windless Place: Venti's Legend Quest
2. The Young Lion's Chapter - A Day Off for the Knight Captain: Jean's Legend Quest
3. The Maple Red Chapter - A Stranger in the Wilderness: Kazuha's Legend Quest
4. The Deer Field Chapter - The Storm Catching Tent: The Deer Field Invitation Task

Peter Pan#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10693-peter-pan

The female lead in the movie^[5] is also named Wendy, and in the film, the male lead Peter Pan has the ability to fly, being a child of innocence and freedom, which fits well with the game's Venti. The scene here corresponds to the scene around 19 minutes in the movie.

This frame features wind element characters in the background, from left to right: Ifa, Sayo, Jean, Sugar, Dreaming Moon Raikou, Deer Field Hyouzou, Faruzan, Lan Yan, Chasuka, Lynette.

Hero#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/79

The plot of the movie^[6] features the three top assassins of Zhao, Chang Kong, Can Jian, and Fei Xue, who have repeatedly threatened the life of the King of Qin, causing him to be unable to sleep for ten years. The nameless pavilion chief of Qin claims to have killed these three assassins and presents their weapons to the King of Qin. According to Qin law, killing the three assassins grants the honor of "Ten Steps to the King." The nameless one uses this rule to attempt to assassinate the King of Qin. In the second row of the image below, the nameless one holding a sword corresponds to Kazuha, and the plot of this movie corresponds to Kazuha blocking Raiden Shogun's "Unthinking Blade" in the Genshin Impact storyline.

Shadow#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/463319

This scene references the poster of the movie "Shadow".^[34] In the film, Ziyu is injured in a war with a hostile nation and is unable to attend court or fight personally, so he secretly trains a double, Jingzhou, who looks very similar to him, to handle state affairs and lead battles on his behalf. Ziyu is determined to reclaim Jingzhou, but due to his physical condition, he can only manipulate the double from behind the scenes. As the plot progresses, Jingzhou gradually develops self-awareness while playing Ziyu's role and begins to question his identity and fate. This is very similar to the relationship between Raiden Shogun and Raiden Makoto.

Zhou Chu Eliminates the Three Harms#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1046090

The English text "The Pig, The Snake and The Pigeon" in the following scene corresponds to the English title of "Zhou Chu Eliminates the Three Harms"^[7]. Then comes the famous scene from "Zhou Chu Eliminates the Three Harms".

In the movie, the male lead Chen Guilin is originally a fierce and brutal gang member. Upon learning that he has cancer and little time left, he prepares to surrender but finds that he ranks third among the "three most wanted criminals in Taiwan." Therefore, he decides to eliminate the top two wanted criminals to make a name for himself in the name of "eliminating harm for the people" and leave a legend.

The scene being referenced is when he almost gives up his plan after being brainwashed by the cult "Master" Lin Ruhe and unexpectedly realizes the cult's scam, preparing to shoot Lin Ruhe. Chen Guilin and Lin Ruhe correspond perfectly to the Wanderer and the Doctor, as the Wanderer, who once was Scaramouche, also bears guilt and is likely here to settle old scores with the Doctor, as revealed in the Song of the Moon PV - "Moonlit Narrative".

By the way, there are a bunch of Doctor clones sitting below, which is quite funny. However, in the movie, after Lin Ruhe dies, the person next to him immediately takes his place to continue "playing music," which also fits the Doctor's clone setting quite well.

A Clockwork Orange#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/185-a-clockwork-orange

Without time to mourn the Doctor's death, the Wanderer immediately arrives at the set of "A Clockwork Orange"^[8]. This movie seems to be quite controversial; the male lead is a troubled youth, and the plot tells the absurd experience of his transition from doing evil to being "reformed" and then facing societal retribution, which is quite similar to the Wanderer.

Chapter Two: Old Age Suffering - Rock#

The six tasks at the title:

1. The Ancient Text Chapter - Salt Flower: Zhongli's Legend Quest.
2. The Knight Training Chapter - A Day Off for the Knight Captain: Noelle's Invitation Task (there may be a typo in the subtitle; the task names are "The Way of Knight Training" and "The Way of Knight Preparation").
3. The Ornament Chapter - The Melody of Elegance: Yunjin's Invitation Task.
4. The Shiba Inu Chapter - The Long Howl of the Puppies: Probably Gorou's Invitation Task (if so, the task name is "The Special Operation of the Dog General").
5. The Tian Niu Chapter - The Crimson Gold Soul: Arataki Itto's Legend Quest.
6. The White Chalk Chapter - Traveler's Observation Report: Albedo's Legend Quest.

The King's Banquet#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/121878

In the first shot, the two riders are probably the Geo Archon Zhongli and the Moon-Cutting True Monarch, with the background being the Chasm. After the transition, the background also features the Dragon King of Ruin.

The movie^[9] describes Liu Bang reminiscing about his life, including key historical events such as the Hongmen Banquet, the Chu-Han Contention, and the death of Han Xin. The elderly Liu Bang is paranoid and anxious, perhaps reflecting the concept of wear and tear. Using Liu Bang to represent Zhongli likely also reflects his imperial demeanor.

Only This Green#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1324187

The scene in the image below probably corresponds to "Only This Green." However, I really couldn't find a way to watch the original film, and I haven't seen it myself, so I can only guess based on the video description and style.

Millennium Actress#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/33320

This scene should pay homage to "Millennium Actress"^[35].^[36]

The movie tells the story of the female lead Chiyoko Fujiwara, who enters the film industry in pursuit of a man whose name and appearance she can barely remember. She constantly plays various roles on screen—Warring States princess, Bakumatsu geisha, Taisho-era ninja, Showa-era female doctor... Each role is "running," each is "searching." The film intricately weaves "reality" and "film" plots, with constant time jumps, which is very clever. This is quite similar to the Traveler's experience of traveling through various countries while searching for blood relatives.

The transition poster is Old Age Suffering, corresponding to the chapter title, and there is a summary of the eight chapter posters at the end of the video.

Orlando#

https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/117954-awakening-age

The next three scenes represent the changes in Liyue from the Archon War to the current human governance, and this part of the storyboard pays homage to a famous segment in "Orlando"^[32], where the protagonist traverses a maze, experiencing changes over a century, with changes in era and clothing. In this somewhat stream-of-consciousness movie analysis, the changes of the character Orlando are often used as a metaphor for the changes of the British Empire, which also leads to the thought that "the Archon must also be watching the changes in Liyue," and what the Archon represents goes without saying.^[33]

The Awakening Era#

This TV series^[10] is set against the backdrop of the drastic changes in Chinese society from 1915 to 1921, focusing on the New Culture Movement, the May Fourth Movement, and the founding of the Communist Party of China. The entire drama centers around the agreement between Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao to establish the party, depicting the ideological clashes and life choices of historical figures such as Li Dazhao, Chen Duxiu, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Lu Xun, Hu Shi, Cai Yuanpei, and Gu Hongming, showcasing how advanced intellectuals in China explored the path to save the nation in the face of national peril, ultimately choosing Marxism and founding the Communist Party of China. This is somewhat similar to Liyue's experience of suffering and ultimately moving towards human governance.

The scene where the Archon looks back at Lumie is probably a tribute to this moment in episode 39.

Farewell My Concubine#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10997

A movie related to Peking Opera^[11], starring Mr. Yun, is quite fitting.

Indian Summer#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/80173-indianske-leto

The scene of Albedo in the bathtub eating an apple pays homage to "Indian Summer"^[12]. In the movie, the relationship between the female lead Clara and her cousin is somewhat like that between Albedo and "Albedo Jr." Clara is jealous of her cousin and thus takes some revenge actions. So, is "Albedo Jr." the one lying in the bathtub?

The Imitation Game#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/205596-the-imitation-game

This movie^[13] doesn't seem to have a similar scene, but there is a reason for putting its title over Albedo's scene.

This is a film about Alan Turing, and both Albedo and Turing are socially awkward, genius figures ahead of their time. Albedo's attempt to create life is similar to Turing's proposed Turing Test (creating a machine that thinks like a human and can fool humans). In many ways, Albedo is very similar to Turing.

It is said that Turing committed suicide by biting into an apple laced with cyanide, which corresponds to the above scene.

The Great Gatsby#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/64682-the-great-gatsby

A famous scene in various ways. Like Ningguang, in the movie^[14], Gatsby's background is not good; he accumulates wealth through hard work and is a mysterious and wealthy figure.

Next, two images of small seal characters flashed by:

The Godfather#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/238-the-godfather

The next four shots look like scenes from "The Godfather"^[15], but I couldn't find the corresponding scenes.

Then comes this famous scene, "You won't even call me Godfather." The person standing in the first row should be Itto.

"This is the old actor," a well-known meme^[16], comes from the behind-the-scenes footage of "As Solid as a Rock," and the title also aligns with Zhongli.

Chapter Three: Encountering Hate - Electro#

The seven tasks at the title:

1. The Chapter of All Under Heaven - Shadow Reflects the Flow of the World: Raiden Shogun's Legend Quest.
2. The Chapter of Chess Tales - Thousand-Mile Eyes and Wind Listening Ears: Uncertain, if anyone knows, please comment.
3. The Chapter of Illusory Crows - The Night Crow's Cry: Should be related to Fischl's task?
4. The Chapter of Little Wolf - The Meaning of Lupica: Razor's Legend Quest.
5. The Chapter of Golden Wolf - The Return of the Sunken Sand: Cyno's Legend Quest.
6. The Chapter of Southern Cross - The Lonely Ship on the Lonely Cloud: Related to Beidou's task, the task name is "The Lonely Ship on the Lonely Cloud."
7. The Chapter of Hourglass - The Forgotten Magic Book: Should be Lisa's Legend Quest "Troublesome Work."

Rashomon#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/548

This segment pays homage to "Rashomon"^[17], and I'm not sure if there are corresponding scenes, but the plot is quite fitting.

In the movie, a samurai is killed, and surrounding his death, three parties (the bandit Tajomaru, the samurai's wife Masago, and the spirit of the samurai relayed through a medium) tell completely different versions in court, with the three versions contradicting each other, the plot exaggerated and heavily self-glorifying. This is also why Lumie says here, "Everyone is lying."

This movie corresponds to the storyline in Inazuma, where there are different accounts surrounding the death of Raiden Makoto. However, I couldn't see the correspondence between the images of Ei, Kujou Sara, and Kamisato Ayaka and the plot, so I'll just share my personal understanding below.

1. In the eyes of the Inazuma people, Raiden Makoto sacrificed himself heroically to protect Inazuma in the battle against the forces of Khaenri'ah.
2. In Ei's eyes, Raiden Makoto "went to Khaenri'ah without telling me," and Ei believes that Makoto sacrificed herself to protect her, but was not strong enough to survive on the battlefield.
3. In Ei's Legend Quest II, Raiden Makoto foresaw Inazuma's future and chose to transform into the seed of the Sacred Sakura to protect the land while buying time for Ei to grow, which was a voluntary sacrifice.

Arrival#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/329865-arrival

The plot of the movie^[18] revolves around linguist Dr. Louise Banks, starting with mysterious giant alien spaceships suddenly appearing in 12 different locations worldwide. To avoid global panic and conflict, the U.S. military recruits Louise and physicist Ian Donnelly to decipher the language of the alien visitors. The movie features a very clever design regarding time, which I won't spoil. || According to the bullet screen, compared to the original work, the movie adds narratives related to nations and portrays China and Russia as villains. ||

The phrase "Why you here?" in the image is also a line spoken to the aliens in the opening recording of the movie. This may metaphorically represent the Traveler and Inazuma coming from different worlds.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/601-e-t-the-extra-terrestrial

"E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial"^[19] is a classic old movie, and the reason for its selection may be similar to the above.

The Verses of Forgetting#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/471878-los-versos-del-olvido

The protagonist of the movie^[20] is also a gravekeeper, steadfastly holding onto memories to combat forgetfulness, which fits very well with the identity of Phyllis.

The whale soaring in the image is also an important symbol at the end of the movie.

By the way, the camera work in this segment is really cool!

Next, this scene quickly flashes by, likely representing a heart knot corresponding to the characters.

The last three are relatively easy to understand, while Keqing's can be referenced in her character story related to the Eye of God:

In terms of disrespecting the "Eye of God," Keqing is probably unique.
Keqing is well aware that all her achievements are clearly earned through her own efforts, yet in the eyes of others, they have become the credit of the "Eye of God."
She has to believe that this purple crystal has taken away her pride, a provocation and insult from the gods.
To destroy the "Eye of God," she has tried countless methods: burning it with fire for three days and nights, crushing it with a cart full of stones, or simply throwing it off the mountain.
Unfortunately, all of the above ended in failure.
Keqing is out of options but doesn't want it to fall into the hands of thieves, so she reluctantly accepted this "Eye of God" that belongs to her in the end.
As time passes, Keqing gradually recognizes the "Eye of God."
She realizes that this item is not possessed by the consciousness of the gods and has provided practical help in many matters, thus deciding to make good use of this power.
"What matters more than the source of power is the wielder of the power."
No matter how she viewed the "Eye of God" in the past, this power has now become an indispensable part of Keqing.
Fortunately, she didn't destroy it back then; otherwise, she would regret it immensely—after all, she is a pragmatist.

Chapter Four: Death Suffering - Fire#

The eight tasks at the title:

1. The Chapter of Unyielding Sunfire - XXXX: Maviqa's Legend Quest, the task name is "Just Like That Blazing Sun," and if it was intentionally written as "XXXX," it fits the theme of Natlan quite well.
2. The Chapter of Butterfly Induction - Why Did the Butterfly Fly Away: Hu Tao's Legend Quest.
3. The Chapter of Four-Leaf Clover - The True Treasure: Klee's Legend Quest.
4. The Chapter of Night Owl - The Alibi of the Night Hero: Diluc's Legend Quest.
5. The Chapter of Wisdom - An Unexpected Client: Should be related to Kamisato Ayato's task, in the 4.4 Lantern Rite storyline, Xianyun sets up a scheme, and the client is Ayato's father (an unexpected client).^[41]
6. The Chapter of Red Ribbons - The Melody of Rock and the Spark of Revolution: Probably related to Xinyan's event task.
7. The Chapter of Liujin - As Dreamlike as Lightning: The first Legend Quest of Shougun.
8. The Chapter of Red Shield - The Red Shield: Probably related to Thoma's task.

The production team combined fire and ice characters together, and the collision between ice and fire showcases the clever arrangement of the production team. Therefore, this chapter will not be analyzed, moving on.

Chapter Five: Desire and Unattainable - Ice#

The three tasks at the title:

1. The Chapter of Snow Crane - The Tale of the Crane and the White Rabbit: Ayaka's Legend Quest.
2. The Chapter of Immortal Scale - The Sea of Clouds, The Sea of People: Ganyu's Legend Quest.
3. The Chapter of Waves - The Knight's Quality Training: Should be related to Eula's Legend Quest, but the correct task name is "The Chapter of Waves - The Waves Never Return to the Sea."

Infernal Affairs#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10775

Also a classic famous scene^[21]. In the movie, Chen Yongren is an undercover cop planted in the gang, which fits Diluc's dark hero setting quite well; Liu Jianming is the mole planted in the police force by the gang, corresponding to Kaeya, who on the surface is a member of the Knights but is also "a pawn planted by Khaenri'ah in Mondstadt, and should serve Khaenri'ah."

This scene also resembles Kaeya's character story - Eye of God: On the rainy night when his father was killed by Diluc due to the backlash of the Evil Eye, Kaeya, as an adopted son, should have saved Clipse but arrived too late. As a sworn brother, he should have shared the pain with Diluc but hid behind his brother, contemplating the conspiracy as a pawn planted by Khaenri'ah in Mondstadt. Ultimately, in the downpour, Kaeya confesses the truth to Diluc, and the two draw their swords against each other.

Mr. Vampire#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/67342

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/67344

Hu Tao and Qiqi respectively play the roles of the Taoist priest and the zombie, which is quite fitting.

Although the scene is titled "Mr. Vampire"^[22], it should pay homage to the scene in "Mr. Vampire 3: The Eternal Return"^[23], where the Taoist priest tries to retrieve his zombie assistant and accidentally releases a beautiful female zombie.

Gladiator#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/98-gladiator

This should correspond to the movie^[24] around the 2-hour mark, where the masked Gallic tiger is fighting on the right side, corresponding to the captain. In the movie, there are also tigers in the arena, which should correspond to the dragon in the image.

In this segment, I only recognized two movie posters: "The Legend of Nit" clearly pays homage to "Forrest Gump," and the image of Maviqa on the right corresponds to "Gladiator." Others are welcome to be supplemented by informed individuals.

Chapter Six: Birth Suffering - Dendro#

The four tasks at the title:

1. The Chapter of the Lord of Wisdom - Residual Heat: Nahida's first Legend Quest.
2. The Chapter of Guohu - The Unanswered Topic: Tighnari's Legend Quest.
3. The Chapter of Hanging Pot - Healing Heart: Baizhu's Legend Quest.
4. The Chapter of the Fallen Leaf - The Battle to Wash Away the Shame: Ayato's Legend Quest.

The Truman Show#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/37165-the-truman-show

In the movie^[25], the male lead Truman lives in a huge studio from birth; the town he lives in is actually a set for a 24-hour live reality show, and all the residents are actors, while Truman is completely unaware of this. His life is watched in real-time by billions of viewers worldwide, while he believes he is living an ordinary life until he discovers anomalies through some details and begins to suspect reality, wanting to escape the town. However, the show's producer constantly sets obstacles to prevent him from leaving. Ultimately, he sails towards the "end of the world," climbs the stairs, opens the door, and walks out of this fictional world.

This scene^[26] clearly pays homage to the segment at the end of the movie, leaving a deep impression on me, and it fits Nahida perfectly. I am a Nahida fan! My literary skills are limited, and it's really hard to describe the excitement I felt when I saw the little Dendro Archon bowing as she opened the door. So cool!

The Legend of 1900#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10376-la-leggenda-del-pianista-sull-oceano

The movie^[27] tells the legendary and lonely life of a genius pianist named 1900, who has never set foot on land. 1900 had many opportunities to disembark but believed he did not belong to the land. It wasn't out of fear, but because he refused to compromise in a "land world of infinite choices yet meaningless." His music, life, and world are all on this ship, and he ultimately chooses to sink with the ship in the sea.

1900 firmly believes that music should be pure, improvised, and heartfelt, refusing to record albums and commercialize, which is very similar to Kaveh's insistence that architecture should carry beauty and ideals.

This scene pays homage to 1900 hesitating at the gangway, preparing to disembark.

Inception#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/27205-inception

A very famous movie^[28] that many works have paid homage to. The movie is set in a world where one can enter others' dreams and steal thoughts. The male lead and his team, at the request of the client, delve into multiple layers of dreams to implant the idea of dissolving the father's company into the mind of a wealthy heir, which is a nearly impossible goal. This is quite similar to Ayato's Legend Quest, both revolving around "infiltrating or manipulating others' consciousness/memories."

This scene likely pays homage to the moment the male lead first introduces the female lead to the concept of dream theft. The fragmented background corresponds to the scene in the movie where the dream collapses, which is also a famous scene. The spinning top that appears here is also a key symbol in the movie, representing the male lead's totem (some say it is his wife's, and the true totem is the wedding ring on his ring finger), a setting in the movie where the spinning top continuously spinning indicates they are still in a dream, and if it falls, it means they have returned to reality.

The Tree of Life#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/8967-the-tree-of-life

A rather stream-of-consciousness film^[29] that continuously questions "Does God exist?", "Why is there suffering?", and "Is grace real?" through the growth confusions of a boy named Jack. The gentle and loving mother represents "the path of grace," while the strict and pragmatic father represents "the law of nature," and Jack struggles between the two, ultimately seeking a transcendent reconciliation in the grand picture of the universe. This is somewhat similar to Nahida realizing that the moon above her head is "false," leading to doubts about the authenticity of the gods, ultimately choosing to clarify the facts to her people amidst contradictions.

Chapter Seven: Illness Suffering - Water#

The seven tasks at the title:

1. The Chapter of the Divine Song - Daughter of Water: Furina's Legend Quest.
2. The Chapter of Whale Heaven - The Mobilization of the One-Eyed Little Treasure: Childe's Legend Quest, in which the production team added the character "Seat."
3. The Chapter of Lotus Dance - To the Wise: Nilou's Legend Quest "The Chapter of Water Lily," but Lotus Dance also fits Nilou quite well.
4. The Chapter of the Ghostly Guest - The Place Where the Chess Ends: Yelan's Legend Quest.
5. The Chapter of the Falling Leaf - The Battle to Wash Away the Shame: Ayato's Legend Quest, "The Chapter of the God Guarding Cypress - The Falling Leaf."
6. The Chapter of the Reflecting Sky - Beyond the Stars of This World: Mona's Legend Quest.
7. The Chapter of the Sleeping Dragon - The Dream of War, Spring Grass Like a Carpet: Kokomi's Legend Quest.

Black Swan#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/44214-black-swan

In the movie^[30], the female lead Nina is a highly skilled but introverted and extremely disciplined ballet dancer who longs to play the role of the "Swan Queen" in the new version of "Swan Lake." This role requires the dancer to portray both the White Swan and the Black Swan. Nina can perfectly portray the White Swan but cannot express the passion and darkness required for the Black Swan, and another dancer, Lily, who is free-spirited and wild, becomes her strong competitor.
Under the high-pressure control of her mother and her obsession with "perfection," Nina's mind gradually breaks down, and she begins to hallucinate: seeing her skin rotting, her nails tearing, and feathers growing. Ultimately, on the night of her premiere, Nina perfectly portrays the Black Swan but stabs herself with glass shards in a hallucination. After the performance, she falls in a pool of blood, saying, "I felt perfect; this is perfection," completing the ultimate sacrifice for art.

Using this movie to correspond to Furina's background and Fontaine's plot is also quite fitting. A detail in the image is that the reflection of the black Furina is the white Furina.

Twelve Angry Men#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/389-12-angry-men

The movie^[31] tells the story of a young man who has just come of age and is sent to court for killing his father. The witnesses are adamant, and all the evidence is heavily against him. The final judgment also needs to consider the opinions of the twelve-person jury, but except for the architect played by Henry Fonda, the others dismiss the case and early on determine that the boy is the murderer.
The first vote results in 11 to 1 finding the boy guilty, and according to legal procedures, a unanimous decision, that is, a 12 to 0 vote, is required for the court to accept it. The first to stand up for not guilty is juror number 8, and due to his insistence, along with scientific speculation on three key pieces of evidence, the atmosphere of supporting not guilty begins to spread among the other eleven jurors. The vote on whether the boy is guilty begins to change dramatically: 11 to 1, 9 to 3, 8 to 4, 6 to 6, 3 to 9, 1 to 11. Finally, through various clashes of life perspectives and different ways of thinking, the twelve jurors finally reach a unanimous decision: not guilty!^[32]

In this scene, twelve people are indeed drawn, but Charlotte and Lynette are blocked by Linni.

Weathering with You#

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/568160

The transition here is very reminiscent of "Weathering with You"^[37].^[38]

Journey Through the Seven Nations#

Here, Lumie has corresponding styles of costumes in each country, which look great!

Mondstadt#

The background story being told here is probably about how Venti met the young man in old Mondstadt, who fought bravely for "freedom," for poetry, blue skies, flying birds, and the people born within the wind wall like him.

This heart may belong to the snow mountain Durlin, but I'm not too sure.

The birth of the Anemo Archon Barbatos, probably.

Liyue#

There are five scrolls in the background, but I'm not quite sure what they specifically refer to, so I can only guess:

1. If these people appear together, it should be related to the Lantern Rite storyline.
2. The Qianyan Army.
3. The Lantern Rite.
4. Story PV - "Echoes in the Heart".
5. Zhongli's Legend Quest II, related to the Dragon King of Ruin and wear and tear.

Inazuma#

On the left side of the background are Sasa Lily and Gohouzo, while on the right side are Yuu Chiyo and Kitsune Saiguu, with a youkai in the foreground.

The characters in the background remain unchanged, just in a different position, with the foreground featuring the Earth Fox statue.

Sumeru#

There are some Sumeru characters in the background; the less recognizable one should be the one to the right of Lanromar, and the one at the top showing only two feet is Tighnari.

Facing the camera, Lanromar from left to right is: Lantisha, Lanjou Tia, and Lanromar. The ones with their backs to the camera are harder to recognize; the one in the middle should be Lanbailijia.

Fontaine#

The background depicts the twins who were once together being forced apart, and the Water Lily Cross Sword also appears.

In the image, Furina transforms into Furina after stepping out of the mirror, and Furina's outfit also changes into Furina's, then dissolves || here comes the knife again ||.

The characters with their backs to the camera are clearly from the Water Lily Cross Society-related tasks, with the left side being Mameh and Seymour (task "The Old Color"), and the right side being Caterpillar, Marian, and An.

Natlan#

In the background from right to left, the captain leads the team to protect Natlan, the confrontation between the captain and Maviqa in the main storyline, and the scene where the captain pays the price required by death's governance.

In the foreground, two scenes appear: one is the interaction between Maviqa and her sister 500 years ago, and the other is the current scene of Maviqa drawing a family portrait.

Snezhnaya#

The 11 Harbingers, the composition is probably inspired by the famous painting The Last Supper ^[40].|| It's rare for the lady to be alive ||. The surrounding chess elements may come from Intermission PV - "Winter Night's Foolish Play".

The Journey's End#

Chapter Eight: The Suffering of the Five Aggregates - Twins#

Lumie meets her brother and recalls various fragments of their journey. The quickly flashing images as she reaches out are as follows:

Then interspersed may be segments of the twins traveling together with Paimon in another timeline:

The segment where the twins tightly embrace each other has such cool camera work! The costumes appearing here, apart from those in the game, are also from the author's creations in this and previous works:

【Genshin Birthday Party】 Life is Like a Play - All the world's a stage

【Genshin Summer Screening Festival】 Twin Handwritten - 𝒍𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒑𝒂 è 𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒆

【Genshin Handwritten/Twins】 Love Language^[42]

【Genshin Birthday Party】 Unawakened Dream

【Genshin New Year Party】 Journey on the River

No matter which world we are in, we will eventually reunite.

Next are the chapter title posters, which I'm not sure if they pay homage to real-life movie posters.
The order here is: Love and Separation, Old Age Suffering, Encountering Hate, Death Suffering, Desire and Unattainable, Birth Suffering, Illness Suffering, The Suffering of the Five Aggregates.

The posters have previously unmentioned and recognizable text:

1. "Old Age Suffering" top: The rock crumbles in time, and the weight of the contract crushes the memory.
2. "Encountering Hate" bottom right: 雷光が閃く場所には，影ができます，此の身こそ，「いと尊き存在」，「天下を泰平せし者」。（Where lightning flashes, shadows are cast; this body is indeed "the most precious existence," "the one who brings peace to the world."）
3. "Encountering Hate" bottom: 常道恢弘・鸣神永恒
4. "Desire and Unattainable" top: ……The Heart of God, the Fool's Obsession, the Despair of Winter Nights
5. "Desire and Unattainable" above the title: The insatiable desire is ultimately a mirage.
6. "Birth Suffering" bottom left: The new deity, imprisoned in the cage of reincarnation; wisdom, who is the chain on the umbilical cord?
7. "Illness Suffering" below the title: Life circulates endlessly like a flowing stream. Starring: Furina Director: Furina. (Starring: Furina, Directed by: Furina)
8. "The Suffering of the Five Aggregates" below the title: The twins are opposites,……
9. "The Suffering of the Five Aggregates" bottom: When the traveler of the abyss picks up the sword, the blood relative in the mirror is 怀……

Finally, I dedicate this article to all the creators of "Life is Like a Play." It is a great second creation, thank you for your hard work!

References#