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The fan 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 analyses, so I can only write one myself during the holiday. (This article is really 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 sources for, and there may even be some errors. Feel free to supplement and correct in the comments. There are also many lyrics worth discussing, and I look forward to others providing analyses as well.

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

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

Opening Group Portrait#

The frames roughly showcase the character costumes from Mondstadt to Sumeru, which are beautiful. 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 Hydro Archon, Xianyun, and Granny Ping.

Inazuma#

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

Sumeru#

Lumie is hugging little 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 quite well.
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 black Fufu on the far left has shed the burden of divinity, and the one in the middle is the Hydro Archon Furina.

Natlan#

The scene with the captain and the image of the Death's Regulator in the last row is really shocking.
The grandmother on the right is scolding Orolon.
On the left should be Aika and Chasuka (so hard to accept 😭).

Snezhnaya#

Here are the 11 Harbingers.
The lady is lying in the coffin, and with the girl beside her, it fits the storyboard of the "Winter Night's Foolery" quite well.
||The Doctor in the upper right corner and Scaramouche being arranged together 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 narrates according to the Eight Sufferings of Life, divided into chapters by the seven elements, and each chapter's subtitle fits the corresponding deity's related plot very well. 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 Mavica
Love and Separation Suffering: The pain of separation from loved ones, corresponding to the Anemo Archon Venti
Encountering Hatred Suffering: The trouble of having to encounter hated people or things, corresponding to the Electro Archon Raiden
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, the cycle of karma, corresponding to the Twins

And the analysis 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: Mavica's 500 years of death and time travel
Love and Separation: Venti losing friends
Encountering Hatred: 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 a 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. Chapter of the Song of the Immortal - If You Are Trapped in a Windless Place: Venti's Legend Quest
2. Chapter of the Young Lion - A Day Off for the Knights' Captain: Jean's Legend Quest
3. Chapter of the Maple Red - A Stranger in the Wilderness: Kazuha's Legend Quest
4. Chapter of the Deer Field - The Storm Catching Tent: 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, embodying a childlike freedom, which fits very well with the game's Venti. The scene here corresponds to the scene around 19 minutes in the movie https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1FF4m1T7AX/?t=1185.

This frame features wind element characters in the background, from left to right: Ipha, Sayo, Jean, Sugar, Dreaming Moon Rhyme, Deer Field's Heizo, Faruzan, Blue Ink, Chasuka, Lynette.

Hero#

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

In the movie^[6], the three top assassins of Zhao, Long Sky, Broken Sword, and Flying Snow, have repeatedly threatened the life of the King of Qin, causing him to lose sleep for ten years. The nameless tavern keeper 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 original story.

Shadow#

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

This scene references the movie "Shadow."^[34] In the film, Ziyu is injured in a war with a rival country, and due to his weakened body, he cannot personally attend court or fight, so he secretly trains a double named Jingzhou who looks very similar to him to handle state affairs and lead battles in his stead. Ziyu wants to reclaim Jingzhou, but due to his physical condition, he can only hide behind the scenes and control the double. 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.

The Three Evils of Zhou#

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

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

In the movie, the male lead Chen Guilin was originally a ruthless and violent gang member. Upon learning that he has cancer and little time left, he prepares to turn himself in, only to find that he ranks third among the "three most wanted criminals in Taiwan." Therefore, he decides to eliminate the top two wanted criminals to gain fame and fortune in the name of "eliminating harm for the people."

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

By the way, there are too many Doctor clones sitting below. 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

Before I could feel sad about the Doctor's death, the Wanderer immediately arrived 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 - Geo#

The six tasks in the title:

1. Chapter of Ancient Tales - Salt Flower: Zhongli's Legend Quest.
2. Chapter of Knight Training - A Day Off for the Knights' Captain: Noelle's Invitation Task (the subtitle may contain a typo; the task names are "The Way of Knight Training" and "The Way of Knight Preparation").
3. Chapter of Elegance - The Melody of Strings: Yunjin's Invitation Task.
4. Chapter of Shiba Inu - 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. Chapter of Tian Niu - The Crimson Soul: Arataki Itto's Legend Quest.
6. Chapter of White Chalk - Traveler's Observation Report: Albedo's Legend Quest.

The King's Feast#

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

In the first shot, the two riders are probably the Hydro Archon and the Geo Archon, with the background being the Chasm, and after the transition, the background also features the Dragon King of Ruin.

The movie^[9] describes Liu Bang reminiscing about his life story, including key historical events such as the Hongmen Banquet, the Chu-Han Contention, and the death of Han Xin. The elderly Liu Bang, due to suspicion and anxiety, becomes somewhat insane, 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 next image probably corresponds to "Only This Green." However, I couldn't find a way to watch the original film, and I haven't seen it, so I can only guess based on the video description and style.

Millennium Actress#

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

This frame 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—Sengoku princess, Bakumatsu geisha, Taisho-era ninja, Showa-era female doctor... Each role is "running," "searching." The movie intertwines "reality" and "film" plots, with time continuously jumping, which is very clever. This is quite similar to the Traveler's experience of traveling through various countries while searching for kin.

The poster transitioning here is Old Age Suffering, corresponding to the chapter name, 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 transition of Liyue from the Archon War to the current human governance. 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 the era and clothing also changing. In this somewhat stream-of-consciousness movie analysis, the changes in the character Orlando are often used as a metaphor for the changes in the British Empire, which leads to the thought that "the Archon must also be observing Liyue's changes," 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 revolves around the main line of "Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao's agreement 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 China's advanced intellectuals explored the path to save the nation in times of national crisis, ultimately choosing Marxism and founding the Communist Party of China. This is quite 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 of Albedo and "Albedo Jr." Clara is jealous of her cousin and thus takes some revenge actions. So, is "Albedo Jr." lying in the bathtub?

The Imitation Game#

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

This movie^[13] doesn't seem to have similar scenes, but there is a reason for putting its title on 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 parallels Turing's proposed Turing Test (creating a machine that can think like a human and deceive humans). In many ways, Albedo is very similar to Turing.

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

The Great Gatsby#

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

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

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 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 Hatred Suffering - Electro#

The seven tasks in the title:

1. Chapter of All Under Heaven - Shadow Reflects the Flow of the World: Raiden Shogun's Legend Quest.
2. Chapter of Chess Tales - Thousand-Mile Eyes and Listening Ears: Uncertain, if anyone knows, please comment?
3. Chapter of Phantom Crow - The Cry of the Night Crow: Should be related to Fischl's task?
4. Chapter of Little Wolf - The Meaning of Lupica: Razor's Legend Quest.
5. Chapter of Golden Wolf - The Silent Sands: Cyno's Legend Quest.
6. 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. 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 Masako, and the samurai's ghost relayed through a medium) tell three completely different versions in court. The three versions contradict each other, with exaggerated plots and strong self-aggrandizement. This is why Lumie says here, "Everyone is lying."

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

1. In the eyes of the Inazuma people, Raiden Makoto sacrificed himself heroically to protect Inazuma in the battle against the Khaenri'ah forces.
2. In the eyes of Ei, Raiden Makoto "went to Khaenri'ah without telling me," and Ei believes that Makoto sacrificed himself in battle due to insufficient strength to protect her.
3. In Ei's second legend quest, Raiden Makoto foresaw Inazuma's future and chose to transform into the seed of the Sacred Sakura, protecting the land while giving Ei time 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 the sudden appearance of mysterious giant alien spaceships at 12 different locations around the world. 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 countries 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 recording at the beginning of the movie. It metaphorically represents 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 the same as 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 forgetting, which fits Filin's identity very well.

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, probably 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 knows deeply 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 the pride that rightfully belongs to her, a provocation and insult from the gods.
To destroy the "Eye of God," she has tried countless methods: burning it for three days and nights with a great fire, crushing it with a mine cart full of stones, or directly throwing it from the Yujing Terrace.
Unfortunately, all of the above ended in failure.
Keqing has no way to destroy it, but she also doesn't want it to fall into the hands of thieves, so she ultimately reluctantly accepted this "Eye of God" that belongs to her.
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 is more important than the source of power is the wielder of the power."
Regardless of 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 surely regret it—after all, she is a pragmatist.

Chapter Four: Death Suffering - Pyro#

The eight tasks in the title:

1. Chapter of the Unyielding Sun - XXXX: Mavica's Legend Quest, the task name is "Just Like That Fiery Sun," and if it was intentional to write "XXXX" incorrectly, it fits the theme of Natlan quite well.
2. Chapter of the Butterfly - Why the Butterfly Flies Away: Hu Tao's Legend Quest.
3. Chapter of the Four-Leaf Clover - The True Treasure: Klee's Legend Quest.
4. Chapter of the Night Owl - The Alibi of the Night Hero: Diluc's Legend Quest.
5. 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 Kamisato Ayato's father (an unexpected client).^[41]
6. Chapter of the Red Ribbons - The Melody of Rock and the Spark of Revolution: Probably related to Xinyan's event task.
7. Chapter of the Golden Jade - As Dreamlike as Lightning: Yoimiya's first Legend Quest.
8. Chapter of the Red Shield - The Crimson Shield: Probably related to Thoma's task.

The production team cleverly combines fire and ice characters, and the collision between ice and fire showcases the team's ingenuity. Therefore, this chapter will not be analyzed further.

Chapter Five: Desire and Unattainable Suffering - Cryo#

The three tasks in the title:

1. Chapter of the Snow Crane - The Tale of the Crane and the White Rabbit: Ayaka's Legend Quest.
2. Chapter of the Immortal Scale - The Sea of Clouds, The Sea of People: Ganyu's Legend Quest.
3. Chapter of the Waves - The Knight's Quality Training: Should be related to Eula's Legend Quest, but the correct task name is "Chapter of the Waves - The Waves No Longer 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; 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 - the Eye of God: On a rainy night when his father was killed by the evil eye's backlash at the hands of Diluc, as an adopted son, Kaeya should have saved Cliffs but arrived too late. As a brother, he should have shared Diluc's pain but hid behind his brother, contemplating the conspiracy as a pawn planted by Khaenri'ah in Mondstadt. Ultimately, in the rainstorm, 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 image is titled "Mr. Vampire"^[22], the scene should pay homage to "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 Gallic tiger in the duel on the right is wearing a mask, which corresponds to the captain. In the movie, there is also a tiger in the duel arena, which should correspond to the dragon in the image.

In this segment, I only recognized two movie posters: "The Truman Show" clearly pays homage to "Forrest Gump," and the image of Mavica on the right corresponds to "Gladiator." Others are welcome to supplement.

Chapter Six: Birth Suffering - Dendro#

The four tasks in the title:

1. Chapter of the Master of Wisdom - Residual Heat: Nahida's first Legend Quest.
2. Chapter of the Fox - The Topic Without Answers: Tighnari's Legend Quest.
3. Chapter of the Hanging Pot - Healing Heart: Baizhu's Legend Quest.
4. Chapter of the Sky Falcon - The Illusion of a Disordered Crowd: Alhaitham'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 giant studio from birth, and the small town he lives in is actually a set for a 24-hour live reality show, with all residents being actors, and 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 where he escapes, 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. Not out of fear, but because he refused to compromise to a "land world of infinite choices yet meaningless," his music, life, and world were all on this ship, ultimately choosing 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 the moment when 1900 hesitates 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 are tasked with planting the idea of dissolving the father's company in the mind of a wealthy heir, a nearly impossible goal. This is similar to Alhaitham's Legend Quest, which revolves around "infiltrating or manipulating others' consciousness/memory."

This scene likely pays homage to the moment when the male lead first introduces the female lead to the concept of dream theft. The shattered 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's his wife's, and the real totem is the wedding ring on his ring finger); in the movie's setting, if the top keeps spinning, it means he is still in a dream, and if it falls, it means he has returned to reality.

The Tree of Life#

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

A rather stream-of-consciousness movie^[29] that explores the existence of God, the nature of suffering, and the reality of grace through the growth struggles of a boy named Jack. The mother is gentle and full of love, representing "the path of grace," while the father is strict and pragmatic, representing "the law of nature," and Jack struggles between the two, ultimately seeking a transcendent reconciliation in the grand scheme of the universe. This parallels the plot of Rauma realizing that the moon above her head is "false," questioning the authenticity of the gods, and ultimately choosing to clarify the truth to her people.

Chapter Seven: Illness Suffering - Hydro#

The seven tasks in the title:

1. Chapter of the Praise - Daughter of Water: Furina's Legend Quest.
2. Chapter of the Whale - Mobilization of the One-Eyed Little Treasure: Scaramouche's Legend Quest, in which the production team added the word "Seat."
3. Chapter of the Lotus Dance - To the Wise: Nilou's Legend Quest "Chapter of the Sleeping Lotus," but Lotus Dance also fits Nilou quite well.
4. Chapter of the Ghostly Guest - The Chess Game's Broken Place: Yelan's Legend Quest.
5. Chapter of the Falling Leaf - The Battle to Wash Away the Shame: Ayato's Legend Quest, "The Divine Guardian of the Cypress - The Falling Leaf."
6. Chapter of the Reflecting Sky - Beyond the Stars of This World: Mona's Legend.
7. Chapter of the Sleeping Dragon - The Dream of War, Spring Grass as a Carpet: Kirara's Legend Quest.

Black Swan#

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

In the movie^[30], the female lead Nina is a talented but introverted and extremely disciplined ballerina 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, while another dancer, Lily, is free-spirited and wild, becoming her strong competitor.
Under the high-pressure control of her mother and her obsession with "perfection," Nina's mind gradually collapses, 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 a shard of glass in her hallucinations. 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 evidence is heavily against him. The final judgment also needs to consider the opinions of a jury composed of twelve people, 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 in favor of guilty, and according to legal procedures, a unanimous decision, that is, a 12 to 0 vote, is required to be accepted by the court. The first to stand up for not guilty is Juror 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. Ultimately, through various clashes of life perspectives and battles of thought, the twelve jurors finally reach a unanimous decision: not guilty!^[32]

The image indeed depicts twelve people, but Charlotte and Lynette are blocked by Linni.

Weathering with You#

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

The transition here resembles "Weathering with You"^[37].^[38]

Journey Through the Seven Nations#

Here, Lumie has corresponding styles of costumes in each country, which are very beautiful!

Mondstadt#

The background here tells the story of how Venti met a boy in old Mondstadt who fought bravely for "freedom," for poetry, blue skies, birds, and for those born within the wind walls 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 second Legend Quest, related to the Dragon King of Ruin and wear and tear.

Inazuma#

In the background, on the left side are the Susuwatari and Gohou, while on the right side are Kamisato Chiyo and Kitsune Saiguu, with a youkai in the foreground.

The characters in the background haven't changed, just their positions, with a fox statue in the foreground.

Sumeru#

In the background, there are some Sumeru characters, and the one that is harder to recognize should be the one on the right of Lanromar, and the one at the top showing only two feet is Tighnari.

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

Fontaine#

The background shows 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 clearly come from the Water Lily Cross Society's related tasks, with the left side being Mameh and Seymour (task "The Ancient Color"), and the right side being Caterpillar, Marianne, and An.

Natlan#

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

In the foreground, there are two images, one showing the interaction between Mavica and her sister 500 years ago and the other showing Mavica drawing a family portrait now.

Snezhnaya#

The 11 Harbingers, the composition is probably inspired by the famous painting The Last Supper ^[40]. || It's rare to see the lady alive. || The surrounding chess elements may originate from Interlude PV - "Winter Night's Foolery".

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 when she reaches out are as follows:

Then, interspersed may be scenes from another timeline where the twins travel together with Paimon:

The segment where the twins tightly embrace is shot beautifully! The costumes appearing here, besides those in the game, are from the author's previous and current fan creations:

【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】 Walking on the River

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

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

The posters contain previously unmentioned and recognizable text:

1. "Old Age Suffering" top: The rock crumbles in time, and the weight of the contract crushes memories.
2. "Encountering Hatred Suffering" 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 the lightning flashes, shadows are cast, and this body is the "most revered existence," "the one who brings peace to the world."）
3. "Encountering Hatred Suffering" bottom: 常道恢弘・鸣神永恒
4. "Desire and Unattainable Suffering" top: ……The Heart of God, the Fool's Obsession, the Despair of Winter Nights
5. "Desire and Unattainable Suffering" above the title: The desire is insatiable, ultimately a mirage.
6. "Birth Suffering" bottom left: The newborn 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. (Life flows endlessly like a stream.) Starring: Furina Director: Furina. (Starring: Furina, Director: Furina)
8. "The Suffering of the Five Aggregates" below the title: The twins are in opposition,……
9. "The Suffering of the Five Aggregates" bottom: When the traveler of the abyss lifts 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." This is a great fan creation, thank you for your hard work!

References#