(no subject)
After much deep though, I realized that while on the outside, I may have a hardened exterior, within I am a softy. I can be easily moved by a sad song, movie, book, or anime very easily and am blessed with great empathy. I feel what others feel...and that is my greatest weakness, but also my greatest strength....in a sense, I am strong because I am so weak.
Thus, in this installment, I shall pay my homage to the fallen heroes of anime who have touched me(if you aren’t well versed in Trigun, Bebop, and Naruto I suggest you don't read the rest for there are spoilers)
First and foremost on this list is Nicholas D. Wolfwood. He is a tragic hero in every sense of the word, and his weakness was his pity for the enemy...something he acquired from Vash which was both his end and his redemption. Yet he received great piece of mind. First he acquired the apple, which on its own may mean nothing but Trigun is full of symbolism. That apple gave Wolfwood something of significance and that was absolute knowledge of good and evil. It was after this that Wolfwood truly sought redemption and was (presumably) forgiven for his sins against his fellow man. Before that, Wolfwood was a killer in priest robes, but afterwards he was truly saved from himself. It was a truly touching moment, because we lost a man who was a friend to all, yet at the same time, we know he was redeemed.
Secondly is Vash the Stampede. Vash's entire life is an endless ballad of sorrow. He can not love, for those who love him end up suffering. All he can do is try to and cope. He lost many important people: Rem, Brad, and Wolfwood to name a few. Furthermore he felt personally responsible for every one who died as a consequence of his existence, regardless of if he was responsible. But the saddest thing Vash ever lost, even more so than his brother's love and Rem, whose importance was almost immeasurable, was his innocence. When Vash killed Legato Bluesummers, he was absolutely devastated because all that he had held dear his entire life was gone. A lifetime of ideology rendered pointless. He was no better than Knives and all the other spiders of the world. And at this moment, when Vash lost the most important thing he ever had, I shed a single tear and was left with nothing but pity.
Then comes Spike. Spike didn't die for revenge, he didn't die because he hated, Spike died for one reason and one reason only. Spike died to feel alive. If Spike wouldn't have confronted Vicious then he would have died anyways. He would have spent the rest of his life never feeling alive. Furthermore, Spike had nothing left to loose. He lost the love of his life...He couldn't bring her back and vengeance was pointless...but Spike had nothing left to do in his life but die. If Spike died by the hands of Vicious then he would never be content. His soul would forever be unfulfilled. Spike, a man who sees only dreams in one eye. You Spike have earned my unending pity.
Lastly comes a boy who was never truly a hero. A boy named Haku who died to protect the only person who ever even acknowledged his existence. Haku died to save a man named Zabuza, who never quite loved him. Haku was Zabuza's tool. He was a ninja, and knew what that entailed. He knew he was Zabuza's tool, that he was being used, yet he still loved Zabuza and eventually died protecting him because Zabuza was the only person to acknowledge he even existed in the first place. Then...Zabuza came to realize that despite the fact that he was a shinobi and meant even he was a tool, that he was still a human being. He died avenging Haku...Haku was far too pure for this world...pure as the fallen snow.
And when all was said and done, all of these people met fates ill fit for them. None of them deserved to fall the way they did. Yet life, it seemed, conspired against them so they would have tragic ends.
Now, I ask you fair reader: How are you going to carry that weight?
Thus, in this installment, I shall pay my homage to the fallen heroes of anime who have touched me(if you aren’t well versed in Trigun, Bebop, and Naruto I suggest you don't read the rest for there are spoilers)
First and foremost on this list is Nicholas D. Wolfwood. He is a tragic hero in every sense of the word, and his weakness was his pity for the enemy...something he acquired from Vash which was both his end and his redemption. Yet he received great piece of mind. First he acquired the apple, which on its own may mean nothing but Trigun is full of symbolism. That apple gave Wolfwood something of significance and that was absolute knowledge of good and evil. It was after this that Wolfwood truly sought redemption and was (presumably) forgiven for his sins against his fellow man. Before that, Wolfwood was a killer in priest robes, but afterwards he was truly saved from himself. It was a truly touching moment, because we lost a man who was a friend to all, yet at the same time, we know he was redeemed.
Secondly is Vash the Stampede. Vash's entire life is an endless ballad of sorrow. He can not love, for those who love him end up suffering. All he can do is try to and cope. He lost many important people: Rem, Brad, and Wolfwood to name a few. Furthermore he felt personally responsible for every one who died as a consequence of his existence, regardless of if he was responsible. But the saddest thing Vash ever lost, even more so than his brother's love and Rem, whose importance was almost immeasurable, was his innocence. When Vash killed Legato Bluesummers, he was absolutely devastated because all that he had held dear his entire life was gone. A lifetime of ideology rendered pointless. He was no better than Knives and all the other spiders of the world. And at this moment, when Vash lost the most important thing he ever had, I shed a single tear and was left with nothing but pity.
Then comes Spike. Spike didn't die for revenge, he didn't die because he hated, Spike died for one reason and one reason only. Spike died to feel alive. If Spike wouldn't have confronted Vicious then he would have died anyways. He would have spent the rest of his life never feeling alive. Furthermore, Spike had nothing left to loose. He lost the love of his life...He couldn't bring her back and vengeance was pointless...but Spike had nothing left to do in his life but die. If Spike died by the hands of Vicious then he would never be content. His soul would forever be unfulfilled. Spike, a man who sees only dreams in one eye. You Spike have earned my unending pity.
Lastly comes a boy who was never truly a hero. A boy named Haku who died to protect the only person who ever even acknowledged his existence. Haku died to save a man named Zabuza, who never quite loved him. Haku was Zabuza's tool. He was a ninja, and knew what that entailed. He knew he was Zabuza's tool, that he was being used, yet he still loved Zabuza and eventually died protecting him because Zabuza was the only person to acknowledge he even existed in the first place. Then...Zabuza came to realize that despite the fact that he was a shinobi and meant even he was a tool, that he was still a human being. He died avenging Haku...Haku was far too pure for this world...pure as the fallen snow.
And when all was said and done, all of these people met fates ill fit for them. None of them deserved to fall the way they did. Yet life, it seemed, conspired against them so they would have tragic ends.
Now, I ask you fair reader: How are you going to carry that weight?