Influences and Cultural References
Earl Cain contains references to real-life people and literary works. The first Godchild chapter, "Mad Tea Party", focuses on a mystery with elements from Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a work which Yuki has expressed her fondness for. Yuki's minor character, Victoria, was inspired by Carroll's character, the Queen of Hearts. Carroll's 1874 nonsense poem, The Hunting of the Snark, provided Yuki with the name of Jizabel's childhood pet, Snark. Additionally, the title of the third part of the series, Kafka, refers to the Austrian writer Franz Kafka, and a translation of the first line of his 1915 The Metamorphosis appears in the beginning of the volume. Yuki also based the story of Mikaila on the fairytale "Mermaid Princess". The chapter "Oedipal Blade" takes its name from the Greek character Oedipus Rex, who unknowingly killed his father and married his mother. References to the Bible also appear in the series. The protagonist shares his name with the murderer Cain, and Augusta is compared to Delilah by his father. Additionally, the series alludes to the story of the Kiss of Judas, in which Judas Iscariot betrays Jesus of Nazareth to Roman soldiers by identifying him through a kiss.
The influence of films is also seen in Earl Cain. Yuki enjoys the television series Twin Peaks, and reviewers have noted its influence on Forgotten Juliet, the first part of Earl Cain. Yuki felt that two minor characters that appear in Forgotten Juliet, Maddi and Leland in the chapter "Branded Bibi", are reminiscent of the series. Yuki also drew inspiration from the film Young Sherlock Holmes for "The Boys Who Stopped Time", and based the appearance of Cain's aunt on Charlotte from A Room with a View. In the chapter "Double", one of the characters shares his first name with the actor Emilio Estevez, and director Dario Argento served as the model for the antagonist. Additionally, Riff's name comes from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which Yuki considers a visual influence along with the films Gothic, Legend of Billy Jean, Aliens, Lost Boys, and Torch-song Trilogy. Overall as a manga artist, Yuki has been influenced by Western films and MTV, which she watched in her youth.
Read more about this topic: Earl Cain, Development
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