Ivan

Ivan enjoys classical literature.[8] He hates ignorance and disrespect.[9] According to the hangul spelling of his name, Ivan is pronounced as 'ih-van' [이 — ih, 반 — ban]. His name is coincidentally the same hangul as the slang term "이반" [''iban''], a commonly used shortened version of "이반인" [''ibanin''], a South Korean slang word for homosexuals used by homosexuals.[10] This does not mean Ivan's name means 'homosexual', as nothing has been confirmed by VIVINOS or QMENG. The name Ivan is a Slavic name derived from the Hebrew name Johanan, meaning "God is gracious" or "gift from God."[11][12] This could be connected to Traces, where Io prayed to the Anakt for Till to be loved in the future. His adoption day is on the same day as Valentine's Day. Ivan's personal talent is being able to start a fire with a rock.[9] Ivan is an ESTJ[13] in MBTI: by the definition of 16personalities, not to be confused with the original MBTI theory. He was previously considered an ISTJ.[14] Ivan's representative flower is the red anemone, symbolizing love that can't be fulfilled.[15] The red anemone can also symbolize romantic love, longing, and sacrifice.[16] Ivan has occasionally been associated with the planet Saturn.[17][18] It is stated on VIVINOS' Patreon that Saturn fits well because Ivan has a multitude of sponsors, and the planet Saturn has many satellites.

Ivan is a pale man with jet-black hair and piercing black eyes with small red specks in the middle. A fang peeks out from the corner of his mouth. He is dressed in a sleek black turtleneck and topcoat, with a diagonal belt accentuating his chest and long black gloves that extend up to his forearms. His lower half consists of a pair of grey slacks with and knee high cerulean boots with straps along the hem.

In Round 6, contrary to his Round 3 attire, Ivan is seen wearing a long white topcoat over a grey turtleneck. He wears matching white pants and shoes. While Ivan's hair was down during Round 3, his hair is slicked back and pushed up for the "Cure" performance.

As a child Ivan appeared quiet and off-putting, due to being raised in the slums and not knowing proper social behaviors. His fascination with Till started during this time, but the two of them often got into fights due to Ivan often saying things and behaving in ways that upset Till.[2] Ivan put effort into appearing more normal, in ways such as practicing his smile in the Anakt Garden pond.[3]

Later on in life, Ivan succeeded in appearing more normal as he adopted a cheerful persona and learned how to smile and be friendly around others. Classmates saw him as "too perfect to get close to", but he did manage to become friends with Mizi.[4] His childish interior could still be seen in the ways he still tried to bother Till to get his attention, though.

Beneath both the off-putting exterior of Ivan as a child and his cheerful nature as he grew up lays a deep sorrow and fatalistic view of the world, however. His two solo songs generally depict him as someone who believes he's destined for nothing but unhappiness, and that no amount of trying will ever change that. This is clearest when looking at his interactions with Till, as though Ivan is quite obsessed with him, he seems to be resigned in the fact that Till doesn't feel the same[5]; even when they were close to escaping together, Ivan simply smiled as Till let go of his hand.

He's notably quite hypocritical, berating Sua for sacrificing herself for Mizi yet doing the same for Till, and also not following most of the tips he gives for his classmates in Anakt Garden in his student interview like not eating regular meals

Ivan was originally from the slums before being adopted on February 14[7] by his owner as a present to his wife. Although he was a very quiet child, he quickly got along with the other children at ANAKT, dispelling his teacher's worries.[3] Despite his exceptional singing talents, he was unable to truly open himself up to deeper connections with the other children, leading to the formation of a deep, one-sided attachment to Till.

Motivated by his love for Till, Ivan attempted to free him from ANAKT and escape together. Unfortunately, their attempt was brief, as the aforementioned decided to return to the garden, not wanting to abandon Mizi.

The Alien Stage competition is a potent vehicle for exploring several themes within the series:

Survival and desperation is the most overt theme, as every performance is a fight for life. As such, the competition often brings out both the best and worst in contestants, leading to complex and sometimes destructive relationships. It highlights the exploitation of the subjugated human race for the entertainment of their oppressors. Some interpretations also suggest that the Alien Stage serves as an allegory for the cutthroat, high-pressure world of the k-pop and idol industries, where performers are pushed to extreme limits for public consumption. It questions the nature of performance and the ethics of art when created under duress, and how genuine emotion can be co-opted for entertainment.

The Alien Stage is a televised singing competition hosted by the Segyein, where their Human Pets perform musical numbers for a panel of alien judges and a vast extraterrestial audience. The stakes are absolute: losers are executed on the spot, while winners are granted temporary reprieve and the opportunity to advance to the next round. The ultimate prize other than survival is unclear, but it's speculated that it could be a form of ambiguous "freedom" or elevated status within the segyein-controlled society.

For the segyein, the Alien Stage appears to serve multiple purposes. It is a form of public entertainment, which appears to sate the segyein's morbid fascination with human suffering, emotions and creativity. It may also serve as a way to reinforce segyein dominance, to discourage rebellion, and perhaps a perverse form of population control. For humans, it could serve as a twisted outlet for human ambition.