too-longanswers

[too-longanswers]

Five Favourite Anime(s)

Apart from Ghost Hunt from the list, all taught me some sort of lesson or just made me question the series and their underlying theme. Also, apart from Gakuen Alice being my all time favourite, the rest are not in order.

Gakuen Alice

This is one of those light-hearted coming of age shoujo anime. It's all innocent and all about friendship.

Ghost Hunt

I love good old ghost stories. One of the very first anime series I've watched.

Full Metal Alchemist and Brotherhood

This anime thought me a lot! No tool is inherintly good or evil; they can be used for both good and evil. Ed originally beleived that alchemy was a force that could only be used for good. Even after his human transmutation, he believed that alchemy was a force was good, believing that he had been punished because he delved into forbidden territory. However, this belief was immediatley shattered after what happened to Nina Tucker.

The value of a human soul is immeasurable. This theme is explored in both FMA and FMAB. When Nina Tucker is brought back to life in FMA, she is essentially a shell of her former self, as her soul couldn’t be brought back even with a philosoher’s stone. In both of the shows this theme is more visible when Ed and Alphonse both fail in trying to bring their mother back to life.

All is one and One is all. This essentially means that everything is connected. This is true in many fields ranging from how nature is, to math.

Hatred gives rise to more hatred. From Scar's story, we learn how hatred only causes more hatred. It's a chain. Only when one has the courage to break it will the entire chain be broken. The one who does not give into the thirst for revenge is the noble one. Atrocities must never be forgiven. They should be endured. There's a difference in the two. To quote FMA, "One who receives pain can still sleep, but one who gives pain can never sleep."

Knowledge is the most powerful weapon. I feel that this is a hidden lesson which many may not have noticed. Many people were puzzled at the end when Ed gave up his gate and Truth said it was the right answer and stuff. What truth was indirectly asking was whether Ed had learnt what would be the biggest sacrifice one can make, one that is even greater than a person's life. Ed answered correctly. He said it was his gate of Alchemy. In other words, all his knowledge about Alchemy itself. He would, therefore, be unable to use Alchemy thus forth. Arakawa, the author of the original Manga, I believe wanted to show that knowledge is the most powerful weapon one can have, through this scene.

A lesson without pain is meaningless:. The last line of the anime - "A lesson without pain is meaningless. You cannot gain something without sacrificing something else in return, but once you have overcome it and made it your own, you will gain an irreplaceable Fullmetal heart." I think the quote speaks for itself.

Naruto

Taught me the importance of friendship, promises, staying true to your words. It doesn’t matter from where you start, you can always change your destiny. Why it is important never to give up and let go of a friend no matter how bad things get. Naruto showed that you can’t reach to the top without the help of your friends. It taught me patience and will. The series tell you that you might be bad at many things, you might not be strong as your friends but if you make up your mind and put your heart into something, you’ll achieve it sooner or later. Also, it tells us how it is okay to love someone with all your heart even if the other person doesn’t reciprocate your feelings. The depth of love and hope is truly one of the most inspiring things from the series. It shows that if you truly love someone, then you can wait for them until the end of time to love you back.

"Believe it!"

Code Geass

"If strength is justice, then is powerlessness a crime?" Central to this question is the core of Code Geass' plot. The story begins with the backdrop of a world largely subdued politically, if not geographically, by the Holy Britannian Empire under the tyrannical rule of King Charles zi Britannia. He rules with an iron scepter, consolidating his nation and suppressing dissension, justifying his actions on the argument that mankind is born unequal, and that his empire seeks to rectify this and build a better future for the human race. Nonetheless, his justification serves nothing but to paint a heroic, utopic picture of his empire when, in actual fact, he despises the weak and exalts no one but himself as the strongest, as evident from his treatment towards the young, insignificant Lelouch and his ultimate aim of challenging "God", the collective unconsciousness of humanity.

Lelouch, in the form of the symbolic Zero, plays a further role in expounding on this question. Throughout the story, Lelouch, with the "Power of Kings" (i.e. the Geass), claims to use his power and influence to uphold justice and fight for the weak and powerless in his father's empire, particularly in Area 11 (Japan). His seemingly righteous cause, masking his true intention to take revenge on his father and to create a better world for his sister Nunally, ends up bringing much suffering and even bloody deaths to countless helpless Elevens (Japanese) as well as Britannians, some of whom are personally related to him. The blood of innocent lives upon his hands in the name of sacrifice for "justice", numerous innocents, powerless in the face of war and dissension, die as a result of his "crimes" in the process of fulfilling his personal ambitions.

It raises numerous ethical questions and dilemmas in its plot. One of the most striking of these comes in the form of a question Lelouch asks, "Suppose there is an evil that justice cannot bring down. What would you do? Would you taint your hands with evil to destroy evil? Or would you carry out your own justice and succumb to that evil?" To rephrase this, "Is it justifiable to oppose evil with evil?" Revolving around this question, we see two of the main characters, Lelouch and Suzaku, locking horns with each other, with the former saying "yes" without winking an eye and the latter giving an indirect "no", stating that he prefers to change evil from within itself. As a result, the both of them, despite being close childhood friends, take their separate ways, with the former choosing to openly defy the Britannian Empire, while the latter preferring to join the Empire, rise up in its ranks and effect change from within. The story also presents several incidences, such as the Zero Requiem and the assassination of Princess Euphemia, whereby questions are raised regarding the justifications behind such actions, and whether there were any alternative methods or decisions that could have been considered at all. Euphemia's death, for instance, brings up the matter as to whether she died a necessary death for a sin she evidently did not commit under her own free will. As for Lelouch's part in her death, the question also comes to mind regarding what form of retribution, if any, is befitting of him for depriving not only an empire of a capable, diplomatic and peacemaking leader, but also a lover of his cheerful partner.

It taught me that everything has two sides. Zero Requiem showed it pretty well. Evil to the general public, but the most selfless plan ever to people who actually know about it; And that great things come with great sacrifice. To create a better world, Lelouch had to abandon his best friend, friends, 2 beloved sisters, potential love interests, liking of the general public.