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The Paranoia series is a multi-media series consisting of 9 main-series songs, 6 bonus songs, and a webnovel (written by Yu Li). The series tells the story of a girl named Ling Luo, who is trapped in a deep swamp of paranoid delusions after her friend, Ling Yu's, sudden departure. The story covers Ling Luo's self-turmoil as she struggles with the choice between staying in the safety of her delusions, and returning back to the real world.
Characters[]
Ling Luo, the case study[]
Ling Luo, the case study (泠珞)
1/1
The female protagonist of the Paranoia series.
Student in the Fifth Sound High School, co-lead of the band VividCycle (时序绚乱). Took up the role of composer and lead singer.
Average family background, moody since birth, wracked with many self-doubts and anxieties. Pessimistic, somewhat of a perfectionist who tends to look at the worst in people, while never wanting to let anybody down. Deeply desires for acknowledgement and belonging, but is unwilling to let herself believe in such unless if she were to work extraordinarily hard for it. At the time when first becoming friends with Ling Yu, her web followers amount to 110.
Played by Luo Tianyi
Ling Luo, the victim[]
Ling Luo, the victim (被害者泠珞)
1/1
The female protagonist of the Paranoia series.
Student in The Fifth Sound High School, co-lead of the band VividCycle (时序绚乱). Took up the role of composer and lead singer.
Because of extraordinary shock after her best friend Ling Yu’s leaving, she came to hate music, and became sunken into the many layers of her delusional world.
Played by Luo Tianyi (high-pitched)
Ling Luo, the subconscious[]
Ling Luo, of the subconscious (潜意识泠珞)
1/1
One of the key female characters in the Paranoia series.
The subconscious of Ling Luo, the victim.
Because of the existence of the first and second delusion layers and the reality of Ling Yu’s departure, she awakens in the middle of the third delusion after experiencing some familiarity with Yan Yu, the protector’s, appearance.
Played by Luo Tianyi (melancholic)
Yan Yu the idol[]
Yan Yu the idol (偶像颜语)
1/1
One of the key female characters in the Paranoia series.
A graduate of The Fifth Sound High School, she is a trending, super-popular idol. Her characteristic work is 三重恋爱 (Sānchóng Liàn'ài). She encompasses the goal of many students of The Fifth Sound High School, including the band members of VividCycle.
Played by Yanhe
Yan Yu, the stalker[]
The stalker (加害者颜语)
1/1
One of the key female characters in the Paranoia series.
A persona built from the image of Yan Yu the idol. A villain born from Ling Luo’s delusion of being persecuted, she takes to calling Ling Luo “Master”.
Her weapon is a long sword.
Played by Yanhe (female voice)
Yan Yu, the protector[]
The protector (守护者颜语)
1/1
A key male character in the Paranoia series.
A persona built from the image of Yan Yu the idol. A lover created by Ling Luo’s subconscious to cope with the assault by the stalker, he is a delusion constructed after having sealed the “reality” of first and second delusion layers from her memory.
His occupation is as a performer of musical theater. His main work is 夜开荼蘼 (Yè Kāi Tú Mí).
Played by Yanhe (male voice)
Ling Yu[]
Ling Yu (零羽)
1/1
One of the key female characters in the Paranoia series.
Ex-student of the Fifth Sound High School and ex-leader of the band VividCycle (时序绚乱). She had taken up the role of guitarist and lead singer.
Her original hairstyle are braided pigtails.
Played by Yuezheng Ling
Ling Yu, the betrayer[]
Ling Yu, the betrayer (背叛者零羽)
1/1
One of the key female characters in the Paranoia series.
Her appearance is based on the real Ling Yu. In Ling Luo’s paranoid delusion, she is a traitor who had committed suicide without even saying a word of goodbye.
Her distinctive trait is her unkempt hair.
Played by Yuezheng Ling
Ling Yu, the saviour[]
Ling Yu, the saviour (拯救者零羽)
1/1
One of the key female characters in the Paranoia series.
Ling Yu’s appearance after she has transferred into the course of psychiatry.
Her hair is arranged in a ponytail now that she’s changed occupation.
Played by Yuezheng Ling
Members of VividCycle[]
Long Yin (龙吟) and Chen Ke (辰柯)
Mo Mo (墨默)
1/2
Members of Ling Luo's and Ling Yu's band VividCycle.
Long Yin (played by Yuezheng Longya in appearance only) is the drummer, Chen Ke (played by Zhiyu Moke in appearance only) is the keyboardist, and Mo Mo (played by Mo Qingxian in appearance only) is the bass player.
The First Layer – Persecution, Everyday life in Jitters, b (Flat note) chapter
The theme of this song is persecutory delusion. A student enrolled in musical school, Ling Luo, has been experiencing feelings of paranoia that a shadow is trailing behind her and planning to kill her, causing her to be on guard at all times. Finally, her delusions cause the dark shadow behind her to turn into Yan Yu, the stalker, who proceeds to chase her with intent to kill.
This is the first work in the series, and as such plants many hints of what is to come, including the details of Ling Yu’s suicide, Ling Luo’s loss of interest in music and her memories of Ling Yu, the posters on the wall, etc, foreshadowing the true cause of the entire story.
The Second Layer – Influence, Obligation of the one that will bring harm, b (Flat note) chapter
The theme of this song is the delusion of influence (reversed). The stalker announces herself to have been following the wishes of Ling Luo, that is, her wish to kill herself. Just as Ling Luo is trying to break away, she discovers that she has obtained the power to bend reality to her imagination, but she finds herself unable to kill the product of her own delusional fantasy, that is, the stalker. In the end, Ling Luo is able to find her attacker’s weak point, using a laser trap and a glock to “kill” her.
Drawing upon the words of the stalker, this song has brought to light the fact of Ling Luo’s escape from reality through delusional fantasy, as well as the status of Ling Yu, the betrayer. In the stalker’s last parting words it was revealed that the start of everything originates from Ling Yu, foreshadowing her return in Part 4.
This song reached 1 million views in February 2019.
The Third Layer – Eromantic, Consolations of the substitute, b (Flat note) chapter
The theme of this song is erotomanic delusion (the delusion of love). After having buried away the frightful memories of Part 1 and Part 2, she tries to return to her everyday life of blindly muddling through. However, her desire for peace and protection has caused her to construct Yan Yu, the protector. The two fall in love at first sight, and are locked into a passionate romance. Yet still, it was then that Ling Luo’s subconscious starts to awaken, as she starts to have doubts on the “reality” in front of her and her past memories.
This song introduces all the key characters in the series, and the plot threads as well as the relationship between the characters start to become more complicated. In addition the protagonist’s characteristics and personality start to become more developed and realistic.
This song reached 1 million views in December 2018.
The Fourth Layer – Guiltiness, The birth of the one who wishes to repent, b (Flat note) chapter
The theme of this song is the delusion of sin. Ling Luo finally remembers the truth she has buried away, and has come to understand that her lover in front of her is nothing more than her delusional fantasy, and considers herself to be unpardonably guilty because of it. The protector, upon finding out about her self-turmoil, promises to protect her. As Ling Luo prepares to kill herself, a memory of Ling Yu surfaces, causing her to lose courage. Finally, her fear and pain cause the stalker to be born once again, and thus she descends to the world of the fourth delusion with intent to do harm once more.
This song is a lengthy explanation of the plot details, and powerfully conveys the emotional states of the characters as they hesitate and struggle. The protector’s promise will turn out to be an omen, as misfortune falls upon him in Part 6.
This song reached 1 million views in April 2017 and is the first of the Paranoia Series to achieve this.
The Fifth Layer – Reveal, The incessant chatter between the awakened one and the one truly at fault, b (Flat note) chapter
The themes of this song are the feeling of being known from the inside out and projective identification. In the middle of the field of red spider lilies, the subconscious Ling Luo has found the Ling Yu she has buried away in her memories. She tries to hold her past closest friend in her embrace, only to find that all that’s left of her is a set of dry bones. The beautiful memories of the past brim in her head, setting a larger contrast against the grief and bewilderment borne after their separation. Desiring to find an answer, she saves her own self who has sunk deep into the many layers of her delusional world.
This song constitutes the final part of b (Flat note) Chapter, and is not as emotionally expressive as the rest of the songs in the series. The cause of the story has been partly unraveled, but many plot threads remain unanswered. The red tassels over Ling Yu’s chest is the key, whose true circumstances will be revealed in the later parts of the series.
The Sixth Layer – Jealousy, The struggle of the ones at her beck and call, # (Sharp note) chapter
The theme of this song is delusional jealousy. Upon the stalker defeating the protector in battle and picking apart at his motivations, the two proceed to advance together into the world of the fifth delusion, and it was there that they find Ling Luo facing in front of Ling Yu’s prison. Ling Luo is struck with incomparable grief over Ling Yu’s and the protector’s betrayal, but in the end, the protector throws himself into the way of the stalker’s sword, protecting Ling Luo and becoming Ling Yu’s tassels. As Ling Luo accepts the tassels, she hears Ling Yu’s earnest admonition.
The tassels echo the events in Part 5, and signal the relationship between the protector and Ling Yu. Ling Luo’s choice between this cursed timeline and Ling Yu’s promise remain a cliffhanger.
The Seventh Layer – Hypochondriac, The choice of the one in terminal stage of her illness, # (Sharp note) chapter
The theme of this song is somatic delusion. Upon understanding the truth, Ling Luo runs towards the Fifth Sound High School, finally reaching the rooftop, and it was then that she remembers the scene of Ling Yu’s fall to her death. Seizing the subconscious, the stalker proceeds to pierce through her, doing so in order to have Ling Luo forget about Ling Yu and so that she will sink deep into her world of delusion. However, the subconscious ultimately only causes the two to return to the world’s end. The delusional world teeters on the brink of collapse, and Ling Luo prepares herself with a lonely awaking.
All the opposing characters have perished, while all the lies have been exposed. The story starts to move towards its final act.
Lune, Yu Xiang Xue (illust), Yi Zhe Qi Shou (video)
The Eight Layer – Return, The redemption of the one who broke her promise, # (Sharp note) chapter
Ling Luo finally awakes from her delusions, and returns to the real world. Initially still unable to accept the truth of her friend’s leaving, she falls into depression and even attempts to commit suicide by cutting. Finally she settles with her reality, and having become apathetic to the love and dreams she once had, she nevertheless tries to return to her ordinary life. Everything seems almost back to normal, except—
The Ninth Layer – Reality, The reality between the one who is understood, the one who is acknowledged, and the one who is taken to as a role model, # (Sharp note) chapter
The true ending of the series
A revelation of the whole truth. Ling Yu is revealed to not have committed suicide after the incident in 零重祈愿 (Líng Chóng Qíyuàn), only having given up on music and changing course to psychology. Not knowing the true details, Ling Luo believes Ling Yu to have betrayed her. When sending some flowers to the idol Yan Yu, she hears the news of Yan Yu’s hiatus, and receives her second shock. Fainting at the spot and sunken into her delusional world, she is admitted into the hospital by Yan Yu. Ling Yu, becoming aware of her mistake, takes to herself to awaken Ling Luo. Finally, she succeeds. The entire story closes with a snapshot of the three people’s happiness.
This song reached 1 million views in February 2019.
This song is a reconstruction of Ling Luo’s original story. In the past, Ling Luo’s songs proved unpopular, and at one point her songs were even plagiarized. When she almost lost her hopes for this world, she chanced upon the understanding and friendship of the singer she had admired, Ling Yu. They formed a band, even entering an open audition. However, Ling Yu then left her. Feeling extraordinarily grievous and empty, Ling Luo started to have doubts on her own worth.
This song tells the original cause of the story from Ling Luo’s viewpoint. It is because of her inability to accept Ling Yu’s leaving and her self-doubts that she is trapped in her delusions. The letter from the committee casts some foreshadowing on Ling Yu’s bout of misfortune.
This song is a reconstruction of Ling Yu’s original story. At her exterior, Ling Yu is bright and happy-go-lucky, but behind her happy look is a broken home. When her band was going through the audition, and when she had received a necklace as a birthday gift from Ling Luo, she had felt extraordinarily happy. However, as she was coming back home, what she saw was her mother, gone mad and raising a cleaver. In the chaos, her mother cut her hand, causing her to be unable to play guitar anymore. No longer able to keep going, she silently withdrew from the contest, and left the place.
This song tells the original cause of the story from Ling Yu’s viewpoint. And now, the deepest part of the mystery has been unraveled.
This song is a side-story taking place between Part 4 and Part 6, and describes the conflict between the stalker and the protector. The stalker tells the protector that he, along with this world, are nothing more than products of the delusion.
妄想PARANOIA (Wàngxiǎng PARANOIA)
Uploaded
2017.01.28
Featuring
Luo Tianyi, Yuezheng Ling, YANHE
Music
DELA (music), Hua er bu ku, Digger (tuning), POiSON (mixing)
Lune, Shuyin Production (illust), Yi Zhe Qi Shou (video)
Other media appearances[]
A game known as "Paranoia: Deliver Me" was released in 2018.
The series 时序绚乱VividCycle by producers Yu Li, DELA and Sovietsy present a series of songs that are written by the characters Ling Luo and Ling Yu, although these songs are not narratively connected to the plot of the Paranoia series.
Gallery[]
30 day countdown to Tianyi's 10th anniversary ft. Shi Mo series; illust. unknown[1]
![30 day countdown to Tianyi's 10th anniversary ft. Shi Mo series; illust. unknown[1]](/wiki/File:30_days_to_tianyi_10th.jpg "30 days to tianyi 10th.jpg (39 KB)")