hello again! i'm here to provide you some more lore concerning about the process behind uts and some (more) fun facts that I actually forgot to say before!!!!!!! yay

let's start, then. 

[[[[SPOILERS AHEAD I GUESS???????????????? (you shouldn't be reading this if you haven't played the game yet dummy!!!!!!!!]]]]]]]

1. MORE CONCEPT ART

I was looking for a specific tweet of mine and ended up finding THESE, that are probably the FIRST drafts/concepts of uts, 

These were made on my phone, actually. I had the idea somewhere outside home and sketched for fun. I really liked the beggining: "In this world, everyone is born under a Star"... It really felt magical like a fairy tale but also a bit like destiny, since everyone is fated to have an "ability". Funnily enough Dulari's "ability" is supposely to "be alone".

It's a feeling I can relate a lot. Most my life I felt like my intelligence (more like my nerdiness smh) or my sense of self were in the way of making friends/fitting society. Sometimes it still feels like that. But instead of portraying it like a weakness (as I believed it to be for most my life) I inserted a new point of view -- the one I developed as the years went by and I actually started to have more confidence: It's a power. It's something I should be proud of.

I also drafted some other ideas under the original tweet, about the name concept behind the Star:

"[...] the princess (yes that girl is a princess) could have been told that her star is called "star of solitude" because she is a girl, and girls are supposed to marry instead of staying single (in their culture).

because people born under that star are independent and often do things on their own, society associated that girls under that star are "destined" to live alone, because they don't bow to men (nor anyone else) 

but for boys it would be different. it would be called "Star of Power" and it would be a good omen, because it's >expected< from boys to be independent

it's interesting to think how much of how we see ourselves comes from the language we use to describe us and the others, I really like to explore that"

I did not have time or space to put that concept into the game, but it stays as a little fun fact: yes, boys born under the "Star of Solitude" are told to actually call it "Star of Power", while girls are told the opposite.

(also i really struggled between "Star of Power" and "Star of Independence" names but i decided for the first because independence sounds like a 4th of july thingy lmao)

2.  THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME OF THE STAR

While "Star of Sensibility" and "Star of Strenght" were names that I easily came up when writing the script, the name of Dulari's Star was inspired by......... uh............. H-Hatoful boyfriend.................

"did the whole concept of uts came from this single line?" uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......... i'm not telling you that.................. m-maybe......... a little.......

3. LUNNEST

Someone was commenting their gameplay of uts to me and (kindly) pointed out some "inconsistencies". Like why Dulari's bed is so small? Shouldn't it be bigger, since she's a (wealthy) princess? Or how comes she didn't know how to use magic, while Leon did?

Well, friendos... here is the thing. Lunnest is actually a countryside kingdom!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL DULARI IS NOT THAT RICH

I know it's common sense that you would expect all princess and princes to be equally rich and educated but this is not the case. While Dulari is wealthy compared to....... pretty most everyone in her kingdom, Lunnest is a quite simple place.

You can notice that from the scenarios. They're not detailed, not full of stuff, and god even the chairs  of the banquet hall are very simplistic. 

Their castle was built a long long time ago, in a war, and part of the monarchy stayed there because they liked the weather and called it "Lunnest", -- which is the fusion of "Lua" and "nest" -- the nest of the moon.

It's design was also kinda inspired by the filipino castle of Jester Under Pressure (which is SO GOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLAY THIS GAME IMMEDIATELY). I loved many things in this game: 1. the name (i love rhymes...........) 2. the jester being the protagonist (okay this DID heavily inspired me to make iris' route ngl... also they have some similarities........ that i didnt notice until now..........) 3. the filipino culture!!!!!!!! (please there are too many european-centered fantasy stories/fairy tales!!!!!!!!!!!!! GIVE ME SOMETHING ELSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

so yeah. while Constellax is like a "big city", full of magical knowledge and wealth, Lunnest is more like....... your good old interior city. you can have some knowledge there but is quite the basics.

4. UNDER THE STARS AS AN ASSEXUAL ALLEGORY

okay fine this one sounds more like a goddamed academic article but trust me.

as an assexual (and arromantic...) myself, i really struggled (and sometimes still do) with the concept of attraction and relationships. and while I don't like to talk about it (because i often get depressive thinking that i am broken or stupid or something) it's not something i can actually forget, right? or run away from...

So when I was playing Katekyo's First Date, following him into his self-discovery of being ace AND his struggles with actually wanting a relationship but being unable to engage into one, I couldn't help but remember Dulari. ESPECIALLY when it cames to terms of Katekyo wanting to have a family etc..... like, the FIRST thing Dulari mentions in the beggining of the game is how she wants to marry and have children but she's just UNABLE to. She CANNOT force herself to engage in relationships not even to pursue her dreams and duty. AND GUESS WHO'S ACTUALLY LIKE THAT?????????? KATEKYO!!!!!!!!!! AND ME!!!!!!! (kinda)

And even when she does get the chance to actually have a relationship, it ends up being completely platonic!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 (WHY did you think there’s no kiss CG????????????????????? because i’m a coward??????????????????????????? that too BUT MOST OF ALL BECAUSE THEY’RE ALL ACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY DONT WANT TO KISS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

the message gets even stronger in Iris’ route, when Dulari doesn’t get to meet her Star nor engage into a (platonic) relationship. even when the universe nor the society gives her a sense of self, she finds it on her own by doing what she does best: emphatize with people. helping someone just like her. and i really love the ending sequence and the post-credits scene because they reinforce that message.

"Maybe our lonely souls that wander for so long craving for company, for a place to belong in, can in the end find their place under the stars... I believed in it." (ending of Iris' route)

"Though, it didn't look as sad as I expected it to be. The Star whirled across the sky, dancing with the jester as they were friends who haven't seen each other in a long time.I could almost hear they laughing at distance, wrapped into a warm and sweet happiness. Somehow, solitude didn't feel as bad and as lonely as before." (post-credits of Iris route)

GODDAMMIT I LOVE YOU DULARI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY ACE STAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5. MORE CONCEPT ART?????????? JUST HOW MANY CONCEPT ARTS YOU HAVE AND FORGOT YOU HAD???????????????

heheh........ heh.......... many................

these ones were supposed to be uh.... promotional art........ tarot style.......... but i never finished them

well this is it!!!!!!!!!!! thank you for your interest in uts!!!!!!!! i'm really grateful for you all :)))))