Choosing between the world and your love
One of the dilemmas I used to enjoy in anime was having to choose between the greater good of humankind and the ones you care deeply about. I enjoyed putting myself in the protagonists' shoes to wrestle with such impossible decisions. The harder the options, the more I admired the story weaving that placed the characters in such cruel predicaments (one of the reasons why Mai HiME ep 24 will always be an anime gem for me). But as I aged (and probably became more cynical), the choice became easier. Yes, I'm now in the camp that believes Otome will regret what she did in DCIISS 10.
I'm not sure if folks really know what they mean when they say things like "saving the world" or 'making the world a better place". As a lawful good Fighter (AD&D Edition 2) during my teenage years, saving the world generally mean quelling evil, installing systems of justice so that faceless masses can live and enjoy their short passage on Earth. In fact, I see a lot of anime shounen heroes sharing my ambitions then nowadays. But as the invincibility of adolescence fades away, one realise the miniscule sphere of influence in exerts in the greater scheme of things and the romantic notion of an all-encompassing crusade for 'greater good' disintegrates. No, it doesn't go away but the scope is revised and very suddenly, the faceless masses take a more definitive form. I still hold dear supposedly lofty concepts like righteousness and justice but I strive to attain them ONLY for my loved ones. After what is 'the world' but loved ones/friends who shape your life and are proof of your very existence. (And it's tragic to see someone sacrifice the very reasons/people to save the world only to realise at the very end, the cruel irony of it all. Light from Death Note Live Action movie is one such example.)
Hence, it's always heartening to see anime characters transcend the shounen mentality and choose their loves to protect instead of the world. (Of course I generalise since most scenarios threaten your love's well being once the world cast to the flames.) For example, the Casulls (Scrapped Princess) has my utmost admiration for protecting the 'scourge of the world'. As Shannon puts it so poignantly, "What kind of world is worth saving if it cannot condone the existence of my little sister?" (I don't remember it exactly but it's to that effect.) Or Iriya (Iriya no sora, UFO no natsu) who declares before that final flight that she fights to protect Asaba, not the world. The list goes on.
Of course Otome does what she does in DCIISS 10 so that we'd have more drama which I really welcome. I only hope she would never realise the epic tragedy of selling out the very foundation why one wants goodness in the world in the first place.
Finally, I quote from an unknown story, "I save the world because you're in it."
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June 12th, 2008 - 10:09
Good post…just watched DC II SS 10 last night (since my laptop’s three years old had to wait for the avi version). Although I think in ep 10 it’s almost like Otome isn’t really making a choice between the one she loves vs the world, the tragedy is she can’t protect all the people she loves no matter what she does.
▼ Show
June 12th, 2008 - 11:00
How about SaiKano O_O;!
Also, this is why I like Soul Eater 8D
June 12th, 2008 - 11:18
One unambiguous example of “making the universe a better place” I can point to is Yamada Seina in “Tenchi Muyo: GXP”. What he does is fight piracy. That seems to me like a Good Thing for everyone (except the pirates).
And what’s nice about Seina is that he’s so good at it that his efforts are far from being “miniscule”.
June 12th, 2008 - 17:51
I too love those plot devices. Choose one of two etc. but they (modern day shounen) usually degrade into, “Meh I’ll choose both, save the world and my loved ones with my all encompassing beams of love and justice.” Ugh.
June 12th, 2008 - 18:23
I kinda think you should take a look into the Negima manga (although it is kinda long). It’ll take a while to get there, but there are many moments where Negi has to make a choice that shrouds the line between good and evil (Evangeline once did mention that the bad guys usually never think that they’re bad themselves), and for what reasons to fight. Heck, the recent power he attained isn’t exactly something most good guys would agree with. Why does he go so far? To surpass his father, for justice, to take down those who hurt his friends/students. He tends to go overboard, which is where he must accept that his allies (even if they are his students and his responsibility) are just as willing to put their lives on the line to back him up.
June 12th, 2008 - 19:16
choosing to save the greater good instead of the loved ones can seems cruel tho.., that’s why usually in anime, when you save the loved ones, you will get the greater good too somehow..
btw, I love the image that you use, any bigger version? would love to make that as wallpaper
June 12th, 2008 - 19:44
This is a tough call. But 10 years ago, I’ll say save the world within 10 seconds while brimming with white glory (or ego?) while screening the inner theatre of a tragic hero.
Now, I’ll probably say fuck it with the world (they have to learn to take care of themselves not expect the overpowered me to babysit them every second). So! Save your loved ones first, haha.
June 13th, 2008 - 12:38
Ironically I watched Skyhigh shortly reading this post…
In case you don’t know the plot involves a villain who in order to bring his beloved but deathly ill and comatose wife back murdered 5 innoncent women, forces a 6th to commit suicide, commmits a forbidden ritual that shatters the very foundation of reality (the law of life, death, and rebirth), and was about to feed the world and everyone in it to Hell for the sake of the Devil granting him one wish.
Why does this matter? Well with your line of thought and the examples you brought up I must ask. Is there a line between chosing your own happiness over everyone else and sacrificing everyone else for your own happiness? Chise willingly and knowingly commits everyone to a gruesome death because she choses not to forget. The Casulls abandoned the rest of humanity to extinction to save their adoptive sister (just because they were proven right at the end does not lighten their guilt…the viewer knows but when they made the decision they did so with full understanding of what that entails according to prophecy).
To me being humane does not involve simpling being empathetic and selfless to the ones I care about…the dumbest beasts on this earth will be so to its own young and sometimes its mate and siblings. Being human means I can be empathetic towards and put myself after total strangers. If there must be sacrifice I can only sacrifice myself…and I say this despite being rather cynical. I cannot give away my loved ones but I can also NEVER give away ANYONE else. These great heros you hold up I find their actions less than inspiring…the end does not justify.
You know what brought this lil’ spiel on was the fact that the villain of Skyhigh said this, “I reject this world if Eri (his wife) cannot be in it”, as he stood in front the gate of Hell waiting for the Devil. Compare that to what Shannon Casull said.
June 13th, 2008 - 23:06
suguru: Woah, thanks for further illuminating Otome’s motivations. Man, I had another SUNRISE moment there. I need to play the game!
Hinano: Looks like I need to catch Soul Eater soon.
Heard it’s hilarious.
Steven Den Beste: I’m always glad for those who knows the nuances of the lofty ideals they subscribe to.
Pity many hero-leads just superficially repeat a mantra from some childhood story and adhere unquestoningly without too much thought.
Rooked: actually I suspect that’d be what I’d do even if faced with overwhelming odds for choosing option 3. I’m not sure if that’s denial XD
Asrialys: Ah that reminds me of many a story where the hero must become a demon to defeat the devil. Looks like Negima would make an interesting read. Thx for the higlight!
ron~: That’s be the feel-good anime where you save the world and get the girl
Will post the bigger version soon! 
crimson: LOL! A condensed version of my waffly post! XD
Zzz..: There’s a fundamental difference between Shannon and Skyhigh dude – at a micro level, Sky-dude takes lives to attain a selfish/personal good. But Shannon protects a life at the peril of the universal good. Intent is very important. Yes, both are selfish but Shannon is not without his conflicts. He knows his action puts the world in peril but at the time he’s protecting Pacifica, no one is hurt yet or hurting. You get a strong sense that Shannon will make a choice come closer the time. His choice is mitigated by the fact that the prophecies have been wrong before. I’d hold on to that small hope too. Prima facie there might be similarities but Shannon and Sky-murderer cannot be compared. Anyhow to keep this post short, I have keep the theme simple but as with life, it never is. When your other loves come into the picture, you’d have to reassess your choices all over. Basically, I’ll saying don’t sell your love ones out to intangible aspirations that one don’t quite grasp.
June 14th, 2008 - 03:20
Wow good post stripey, I can see where you’re getting at, when we are young our naive sense of wanting justice and righteousness seem to dominate all else until we face the harshness of reality that the world just doesn’t work that way and we’ll always feel more comfortable having the ones we love near us then in altruistically willing to lose someone dear to you for the better good.
Just on a side note what is that picture and do you have a better res of it?
June 14th, 2008 - 07:50
To be honest, I do hope that I wouldn’t ever have to make that choice – to turn the world against you by saving your loved ones , or to abandon them completely. Even now, I still can’t think of which would be better – more in line with my principles (if I have any to begin with).
Also, I third that request for a hi-res version of the header image.
June 14th, 2008 - 15:54
I swear that quote is from Iriya
June 14th, 2008 - 16:01
love the last quote…
June 15th, 2008 - 07:06
heh, this reminds me very strongly of The Guardian background from nwn2 official campaign XD
but seriously,
what makes a selfish(however caring/loving or w/e to his important one) person/group who doomed the world to destruction any better than those cold-hearted cruel(selfless, other people may say) ones who saves the majority or even the world by sacrificing few ?
i noticed that it becomes much more complicated if the few to be sacrificed incidentally includes your loved ones though
*rolleyes* oh drama…
i’m leaning more to “save the world, sacrifice a few/your loved one” option more , since living in a destroyed/non-existent world doesn’t really sound good to me :>
though i really do not envy those who have to make these kinds of decisions….which make these kind of stories always entertaining to watch/read for me if done correctly
this
June 16th, 2008 - 04:30
To quote Lenalee from D.Gray-man…
“When you close your eyes and think of the ‘world’, what do you see…? When I think of the ‘world’, I don’t see it like a map. All I see are the faces of everyone…
I must be a terrible person… I cherish my friends more than the real world. Because only they make up the ‘world’ to me.
When a friend of mine dies… To me, it’s the same as if a part of the ‘world’ has been destroyed.”
June 16th, 2008 - 09:02
holyman282/Zeroblade: Exactly!
And I’m linked the pic to a bigger one. Enjoy!
Harbin: Ah, it looks like it’s time I rewatched Iriya again.
Viny: Heh, credits to… Iriya?
randompasserby: heh, as mentioned things are never quite so straight forward since even if we may have a love of our life, there are other loved ones who’d be endangered if we for example just choose to save The One. The circumstances are complex and frankly I’d make the call to ’save the world’ in some situations only because there are many other love ones at stake. But the principle doesn’t change. We do it for those we love and saving the world should just be a by-product of those actions. Of course when your love one’s well being and the world’s interest are diametrically opposed… then we need a script for that next SUNRISE production!
Chaos2Frozen: Ah one’s who has lifted the words right out of my heart.
June 21st, 2008 - 17:55
The last quote is from the very first scene of ‘Tales of Symphonia’, right?
June 24th, 2008 - 08:01
Actually I’ven’t seen ToS