A Tragedy of Forgiveness (The House in Fata Morgana)

Realised that the pronunciation for 'Jacopo' was wrong here! Apologies.

A Fata video essay? Count me in!!!!!!!
Thank you so much for this. There's so much about this visual novel that has never been brought to light, and I'm glad that you're one of the ones doing it.

i got spoiled because of this bro pls be carefull next time lmao

⚠️⚠️⚠️ Late-game spoilers ahead gang! It's a good video if you've finished the game tho.

Superbly done 🙌

beautiful

Just finished the game, and damn. truly one of a kind game, I hope most VN nowadays would Abandoned their stereotypical whimsy anime quirks and made something a bit more innovative

Morgana is literally me. I admire Michel for being able to overcome and forgive but personally I would've cursed those people, I would curse people I know in real life. Big ups to Michel for being bigger then that a true saint.

This is not about forgiveness.

Good video! Fata Morgana is such a fantastic story and it's a shame that there aren't a lot of other videos about it!!
I have to agree with another commenter in that I don't think the game is trying to provide any sort of correct answer to the question of forgiveness, which is really what I like about it. Michel is an intensely, deeply good and empathetic person, and it's true that he works as an excellent foil to Morgana and her inability to forgive b/c of this, but I don't think the game necessarily frames his decision to forgive his family as more "correct" than Morgana's decision - it's indeed framed as the more "saintly" decision, but the game also doesn't draw a 1:1 between what is healthy and what is saintly.

Morgana's hatred condemns a lot of people to several lifetimes of suffering, but at the end of the day, it is to her that the narrative offers the most empathy and understanding. At the end, Morgana's unwillingness to forgive the men is not something the narrative wants us to condemn; it wants us to understand her pain and just how deeply she was hurt. These men ruined her soul to its core. They took a girl who was already broken and battered and they only tore her apart more until there was nothing left. I don't think the writer wants us to think that she should have forgiven them, and I also don't think the writer wants us to think that she shouldn't have. It's a decision that was up to Morgana and Morgana alone, and we see this through Michel's POV as he validates her feelings. She decided that she was hurt too deeply by these people to forgive them, and that was the correct choice, bc it was the choice that she made deep from her heart, the choice that would progress her own journey of healing, just like Michel's choice TO forgive progressed his, bc they are both different people with different experiences. As you said at the end of the video, she was not a saint or a witch, just a human being, and the fact that she gets to smile at the end despite her unwillingness to forgive proves that it wasn't necessary for her to forgive the ppl who wronged her to be happy.

It's a complicated topic and Fata spends a lot of time pondering it, and I think its final answer to it is that every person is different and processes pain differently, and it isn't inherently good nor inherently bad to choose not to forgive someone. What matters the most is what helps you the most on your own journey of healing. I would probably find it a very discomforting story if I felt that it wanted me to expect Morgana to forgive ppl who had inflicted such horrible violence on her soul and body.

Just a little correction: Michel is pronounced like Michelle, so "Mishél"

I just finished the entirety of the Fata Morgana catalog (aka the main game and requiem + all the side and hidden stories) and I have fallen completely and utterly in love with the storytelling, narrative, and themes of Fatamoru. I love watching analysis videos as well so I was looking for some on Fatamoru but didn’t find any on first glance but then I found this video through a tumblr post and I’m so glad I found it. You do an absolutely fantastic job at laying out the mirrors of Michel and Morgana and how they are both victims to circumstance and how their personalities differ which leads them to differing actions.

I really think you do a wonderful job at speaking very slowly and concisely, and your audio quality is very good and even as well! I definitely see your talent and I would love to see more from you if you choose to keep making videos. Don’t loose your passion, and I hope your day and every day after is filled with happiness!

To me, I felt that the main message of fata morgana is simply to not let hatred consume you. What happened to Morgana undoubtedly terrible, and she has no obligation to forgive her abusers. But she shouldn’t hold on to her hatred because she deserves to move on. I’m happy she was able to do that in the end and reincarnate into a happier life.

Michael and Morgana dynamic is fascinating.
I am still incredulous sweet Michael is the last one we get to know despite having the full story narrated from his POV since the beggining. even on the first moments, everything from this tale was a story with him as protagonist and Morgana as 'antagonist' or protagonist as well... if this is even the way we can define their dynamic.

I wish I was more like Michael

What should I do? I am on the opposite end of this issue. I have forgiven my mother and sister, but I don't care if they have forgiven me nor I want them back in my life ever as they are but a source of instability and distress, who will not learn.
Time to talk things with them is too long gone. Just because I don't want them back in my life doesn't mean I didn't forgive or understood they got their motives.

this is the part where the house becomes fata morgana

I'm wondering if you uploaded your personal music anywhere? It sounds so calm and serene, I definately want to listen to it and enjoy it. Thank you for this atmosphere in the video!

Wow finally someone who does actual analysis on the game instead of just recapping it for views 👍🏼 good video

Have you ever read the untranslated side stories? There are some on reincarnation, lovely stories at that.