Yi Sang
Yi Sang (Hangul: 이상, I Sang) is designated Sinner #1 of Limbus Company's LCB department.
Yi Sang is a cryptic and mellow man with a lot of thoughtfulness to him. He was a researcher and architect previously affiliated with the League of Nine Littérateurs, having invented the Mirror as a T Corp. researcher prior to joining Limbus Company.
He is the focus character of Canto IV: The Unchanging.
Appearance
Yi Sang is a man of average build and pale complexion. He has short black hair which frays slightly at its ends, and dead-looking black eyes adorned with heavy eye-bags underneath. He wears the long-sleeved version of the Limbus Company coat around his shoulders, which appears to have been tattered and burnt at the bottom. Underneath his coat is the regular long-sleeved white shirt and red tie, and then a black vest, both of which are tucked into his belt. Written on the left breast of his coat is 'NO.O1', and 'YI SANG' on the side.
Yi Sang wields a saingeom (사인검, lit. Four-Tiger Sword) in the shape of a dagger kept in a sheath strapped to his left hip. He seems to prefer using his left hand. Yi Sang also possess a gray leather notebook labeled '하융' or Ha Yung — as seen on his base E.G.O, Crow's Eye View. The notebook and the dagger are at times visible in various Mirror Worlds.
Personality
Yi sang is a particularly quiet, mellow man. At the beginning of the game, he fails to stand out much among his fellow sinners due to his tendency to stay silent and watch rather than actively contribute to discussions. On top of this, when he speaks, his words are often obscure and riddle-like whilst also delivered monotone. His expression never shifts much either.
Nevertheless, Yi Sang does not come off as unkind. He appears to care for the people around him in his own way. Similarly, for the most part the Sinners seem to accept him as simply being a peculiar person, rather than interpreting his attitude negatively or getting frustrated with him. In Intervallo I: Hell's Chicken, betraying his aloof and inexpressive appearance, he's shown to be rather eccentric and sentimental, forming an immediate attachment to a burnt potato sprouting flowers to the point of being in visible distress over being separated from it by Don Quixote at Meursault's order.
Come Canto IV: The Unchanging, and more is revealed about Yi Sang little by little, such as his concerningly low level of self-esteem and outward disgust at Dongrang's callous behavior concerning the many deaths of his fellow K Corp. employees and the suffering they are consistently put through. Though for a large part of the story he refuses to open up to Dante and The Sinners, after being questioned by Dante in regards to his emotional state after being confronted with his old companions, Yi Sang reveals that he considered the day he met Dante and gained immortality against his will his greatest moment of despair, quietly wishing for his own eternal rest. This trend of suicidal depression is echoed by Dongbaek as she justifies her attempted murder of him as something he desired, which he does not retort. Following this interaction, Dante resonates with Yi Sang's mental state, being able to see Yi Sang with a large, cracked void in his chest with no signs of mending.
Within the dungeon, the source of this hopelessness is finally revealed: being severely affected by the loss of the League of Nine Littérateurs, a place in which he found comfort and safety amidst the harsh, chaotic world he lived in as well as people who supported him and who he in turn wished to connect with and bring happiness to, and ultimately being manipulated and betrayed by the last companion who remained, he was left grief-striken and without hope for life, alone in the world. Affected by the abuse he suffered under Gubo, he believed himself to have no free will or a say in what happened to him, wallowing in despair and going through the motions until eventually finding himself under Limbus Company, given the vague premise of finding hope again and regaining his "wings", the sense of freedom and endless possibilities he felt back when he was with the League of Nine.
Once come to terms with his own past and a newly found sense of hope encouraged by Sang Yi, an alternate version of himself living within his personal mirror Yeonsim, as well as the last remaining will of Dongbaek, he becomes much warmer and open towards Dante and his fellow Sinners, wishing to help them and not watch the tragedy of the League repeat. This can be most seen in Intervallo II: S.E.A, where he actively tries to keep the group in good spirits however he can and help Heathcliff and Ishmael reconcile, and often showing his own appreciation and compassion for his companions and those who aid them along the way such as Pilot.
Though at the same time, despite his position as a genius he's shown to be rather socially awkward and naive; often being distracted by things he finds intriguing, not understanding jabs and often taking things literally, such as in Intervallo III: Yield My Flesh To Claim Their Bones where he misinterprets Rodion and Gregor's attempt to avoid a complicated lecture by him and Faust when they ask about Nest T's architecture and getting carried away explaining it due to his own interest in the topic. Another example appears in Canto VI: The Heartbreaking where he's overwhelmed by Ishmael and Hong Lu's joking insistance that he would find it odd that Heathcliff would recieve a love letter, clarifying that he does not believe that and did not intend to imply so or insult Heathcliff, which Ishmael explains to him immediately after to be mere jest, as well as being impressed by Rodion deducing his favorite color and giving a description that fits his personality and behavior based on his choice.
During the Canto, Yi Sang is shown to be highly unsettled at the utilization of his technology and research in the human dough experimentation conducted by N Corp. in collaboration with Aseah, his former compatriot, as well as the use of his mirror in Hermann's plans to manipulate Nelly and Catherine into the creation of the laboratory, believing the resulting experiments to be too high a price for any single human life.
Mirror Worlds
- World within Yeonsim
- The Yi Sang of this world represents Yi Sang's ideal self. This Identity appears to be a researcher, and is first seen wearing a formal black suit with a pocketwatch chain hanging from his vest, suggesting that he might be an inventor at T Corp. In his other appearances, he wears a lab coat with an employee card pinned to it and carries around a folder of documents. His most notable feature are the wide, brightly colored glass-like wings on his back. Despite acting as a companion and caretaker to Yi Sang, this Identity manifests a strong apathy towards the workings of the City and people's sufferings, suggesting Yi Sang stay with Hermann's group instead of trying to live a free life again. He is dubbed Sang Yi by the Yi Sang from the main story, as a reference their specularity.
- World of K Corp.
- In this world, Yi Sang is the leader of the Technology Liberation Alliance, who has fully manifested E.G.O. The E.G.O appears as a white hanbok and a gray po overcoat, as well as yellow spicebush flowers and dark branches growing out of his body. Notably, the flowers have grown to cover Yi Sang's shoulders and his left eye, with the visible one having turned a bright yellow, while the branches grow out of his upper back, in a shape that resembles featherless wings. He carries a fan made of spicebush flowers, which he uses in combat together with a sharp branch that serves as a spear. In his base art, Ha Yung is visible, laying on the floor to his right. This Identity mirrors Dongbaek from the main story, specifically sharing her personal E.G.O. He can be seen in his Effloresced E.G.O::Spicebush Identity.
- World of U Corp.
- In this world, Yi Sang is Captain Ishmael's First Mate on The Pequod. He wears a dark green button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and dark wading pants held up by suspenders, and has a number of scars up his arms as well as one across his nose. In his battle sprites, Ha Yung can be spotted strapped to his left hip. He wields a long harpoon as a spear. This Identity mirrors Starbuck from the main story. He can be seen in his Pequod First Mate Identity.
- World of Molar Office
- In this world, Yi Sang is a Fixer of the Molar Office. He wears a white shirt and brown vest with a red tie, as well as a gray jacket worn over his shoulders, and striped pants. He wields a large serrated weapon resembling a chainsaw. This Identity mirrors Rain in Library of Ruina. He can be seen in his Molar Office Identity and appears in Outis' Molar Office base art.
- World of Lobotomy Corporation Headquarters
- In this world, Yi Sang is an Agent of the Safety Team in the Lobotomy Corporation Headquarters. He wears the Solemn Lament E.G.O suit, and uses its E.G.O weapon in battle. He can be seen in his Lobotomy E.G.O::Solemn Lament Identity.
- World of the Kurokumo Clan and Blade Lineage
- In this world, Yi Sang is a Salsu of the Blade Lineage, a fearsome swordsman nicknamed the Slayer, whom some believe should be the next leader of the Syndicate. He wears a white collared shirt, black vest, and red tie, with a black Dopo robe over the top, resembling Bamboo-hatted Kim's outfit, and has a number of scars across his face and body. He wields a sword, possibly a hwando or a jikdo. He can be seen in his Blade Lineage Identity.
- World of Seven Association Southern Branch
- In this world, Yi Sang is a Fixer of the Seven Association's South Section 6 Branch. In his base art, he wears a green Seven button down and a yellow tie, with a black Dopo coat on top; in his Uptied art, he wears the standard Seven Association uniform and wields a longsword. He can be seen in his Seven Association Identity and appears in Faust's Seven Association base art.
- World of W Corp.
- In this world, Yi Sang is a WARP Corp. Level 3 Cleanup Agent, who has recently been asked to train recruits, a job he's been enjoying far more. He wears the W Corp. Cleanup Agent uniform, and carries Ha Yung strapped to his left thigh. He wields a laser-powered dagger. He can be seen in his WARP Corp. Identity and appears in Outis's W Corp. Identity Story.
- World of Dieci Association Southern Branch
- In this world, Yi Sang is a Fist of the Dieci Association's South Section 4 Branch. He dons the Dieci Association uniform, and he fights with hand to hand combat, his strikes enhanced by the Dieci Fist stole. In his base art, he wears square glasses, and Ha Yung can be seen on the left side of his desk. He can be seen in his Dieci Association Identity and appears in Hong Lu's Dieci Association Identity Story.
- World of the Ring
- In this world, Yi Sang is a student of the Ring's Pointillist faction. He wears a Pointillist student uniform, with a Ring Student ring on his left hand, and carries a brush-shaped spear, which he wields in combat, as well as Ha Yung strapped to his left hip. Notably, his hair is longer, reaching to his shoulders, and tied back in a low ponytail, and he has a black tear-shaped tattoo under his right eye. He can be seen in his Ring Identity.
- World of Liu Association Southern Branch
- In this world, Yi Sang is a Fixer of the Liu Association's Southern Branch. He wears a red jacket with golden detailing, buttoned up to his neck, and a black Dopo robe over his shoulders. He appears in Hong Lu's Liu Association Identity Story.
Trivia
- Yi Sang's character icon represents a sheet of paper containing a wing made of shattered glass, referencing Yi Sang's scholarly passions and his love for research, as well as the culmination of the latter, his discovery of the Mirror.
- Yi Sang is represented by the "🪶" Emoji[2].
- Yi Sang's particulars are listed as "ruminating".
- Yi Sang (Hangul: 이상, isang; Hanja: 李箱) was the pen name and sobriquet of 20th century Korean poet, novelist and essayist Kim Hae-Gyeong (Hangul: 김해경, Hanja: 金海卿). Yi Sang is based on the main character of one of Hae-Gyeong's masterpieces, The Wings, and takes inspiration from some points of the author's own life.
- The Wings is a short novel written from a first-person point of view, with its narrator being a nameless man, profoundly alienated from society. The narrator shares a small apartment with his wife, Yeonsim, the only person he interacts with, and he spends most of his days in a lightless room, entertaining himself with his wife's mirror and admiring her colorful room. One day, after daring leave the house, the narrator gets a cold and falls sick, leading Yeonsim to instruct him to take aspirin every day; the narrator later learns she had been feeding him sleeping pills, keeping him confined in his room day and night. Having fled the apartment and found himself devoid of any desire for life, the narrator aimlessly wanders the streets of the town, understanding his lack of wings, but still wishing to fly. The plot of The Wings is heavily reprised in Yi Sang's backstory, with Sang Yi and Gubo assuming a similar role to that of Yeonsim in the novel.
- Kim Hae-Gyeong's work focused on the human psyche and the struggle to reconcile with the reality of the modern era, weaving autobiographical elements through complicated riddles and odd expressions, and often referencing violent subject matters such as suicide and the Japanese colonial violence Hae-Gyeong witnessed throughout his lifetime. This is referenced in Yi Sang's manner of speech and his background in S Corp., a District that takes inspiration from Joseon-era Korea and that has recently entered the area of influence of the Kurokumo Clan, a Syndicate with clear Japanese inspirations.
- Kim Hae-Gyeong was a member of the Guinhoe, or League of Nine, a literary organization formed to pursue artistic freedom, born with anti-imperialist sentiments, whose members fell apart with time due to political disagreements. The Guinhoe directly inspires the League of Nine Yi Sang was a member of.
- Yi Sang's profession as an architect is also inspired by Kim Hae-Gyeong, who majored in architecture with honors. His graduation photobook is the first known use of the pen name Yi Sang.
- Yi Sang's introduction quote is the famous opening line of The Wings. The line introduces the main theme of the novel, the idea of a genius whose life has since drained, but who yet retains its shape as a living being. The concept sources the events of Yi Sang's story as seen in Limbus Company.
- The pseudonym itself, "isang" (이상), is a Sino-Korean word derived from several Chinese words, producing homonyms with different meanings depending on origin. This can be seen through Yi Sang making multiple puns based on his name. Yi Sang's wordplay over his name as seen in game include:
- (Hanja 異常, Hangul 이상, isang): "strange, abnormal, odd, weird, bizarre"
- (Hanja 理想, Hangul 이상, isang): "ideal"
- (Hanja: 以上, Hangul: 이상, isang): "aforementioned", or "that's it", used at the end of a sentence to indicate that there is nothing further to add. This references the pun used in Poem No. 4 of Yi Sang's "Crow's Eye View" in conjuction with his pen name: in the context of the poem, Kim Hae-Gyeong's pen name is diegetically a treated as the fictional character, Doctor 'Yi Sang' (이 상, 李 箱), seperate from he himself — and as the word 'above-mentioned', isang (이상, 以上).
- All the aforementioned puns are utilized in the lyrics of Fly, My Wings, the theme song of Yi Sang's Canto.
- Like all of the Sinners, Yi Sang voiced a "Document Excerpt" Youtube short.
- Unlike most Sinners, Yi Sang's subtitle, 하융 ("Ha Yung"), is not seen emblazoned onto his main weapon, his dagger. Rather, '하융' is instead written on the bag he keeps his notebook in, as seen in his base E.G.O. "Ha Yung" (Hangul: 하융, Hanja: 河戎) is the alias that the real-life poet and author Yi Sang had used as a painter.
- Yi Sang's main weapon is a saingeom: its name, 'Four-Tiger Sword', comes from the folk belief of such weapons being forged during the Year, Month, Day, and Hour of the Tiger. Saingeom were Joseon-era swords used for ceremonial purposes and exorcism in West Korea. The blade was decorated with 28 constellations representing the 28 Mansions of the East Asian zodiac to represent the four directions.
- Yi Sang's voice actor, Min Seung-woo, previously voiced both Emma and Anton in Library of Ruina.
- Originally, the name written on his coat in his talking sprites was "Lee Sang", the most common romanization of his surname '이', rather than "Yi Sang", the English spelling most often used in reference to the historical author he's based on, along with being what is written on his coat in his promo art. The spelling was ultimately corrected in a later update.
- Yi Sang's first promotional poster featured the line: "I do not have the mirror now but the me inside-the-mirror is in it", "I do not know but he is probably obsessed with his lefty work" translated by Jack Jung (정새벽).
- This caused the translator above to accuse Project Moon of plagiarism on Twitter, leading to the deletion and edit of Yi Sang's promo art to remove the translation. Project Moon later issued an apology towards the translator.
- The promo art also featured an image of Capri-Sun in one of the mirror reflections. This was also removed upon the edited re-release of Yi Sang's new promo art.
External Links
- Yi Sang (이상) - Korean page (Namuwiki)
- Yi Sang (イサン)- Japanese page (wikiwiki)
- Yi Sang (イサン) - Japanese page (wiki3)
- Yi Sang (Ли Сан) - Russian page (Project Moon wiki)
References
 Wiki Navigation | |
|---|---|
| Mechanics | Battles - Battle Announcers - E.G.O - Identities - Items - Luxcavation - Mirror Dungeon - Story Dungeon - Theater |
| Seasonal Event | Seasons - Limbus Pass - Refraction Railway - Dante's Notes - Walpurgis Night |
| Characters | Dante - Vergilius - Charon |
| Sinners |
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| Terminology | |
| Locations | The City (Districts (Nests • Backstreets)) - Outskirts - The Great Lake - Mephistopheles |
| Lore | Abnormalities - E.G.O - Distortion - The Sign - Smoke War - Singularity - Golden Bough |
| Factions | Limbus Company - Fixers (Offices • Associations) - Syndicates (Five Fingers) - Wings |
| Other | |
| Songs | "In Hell We Live, Lament" - "Between Two Worlds" - "Fly, My Wings" - "Compass" - "Through Patches of Violet" - "Pass On" |
| Media | Lobotomy Corporation - WonderLab - Library Of Ruina - The Distortion Detective - Leviathan - Limbus Company (Game) |
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