The Politics of Third Earth: Part 3, Lion-O's Ideals and Values -Thundercats (2011)

The series actually connects itself to the real world through some of our political values. We must gather lessons from what Lion-O learnt in the first half of the series (http://animevigil.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-politics-of-third-earth-part-1-lion.html) and then how he is contrasted to other leaders, particular in the second half of the series (http://animevigil.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-politics-of-third-earth-part-2-lion.html) to find these values. Through this we can see that the Thundercats series presents itself, like the Book of Omens, as a guide to leading with "Sight Beyond Sight". The series theorises on how to lead well whilst keeping certain values in mind.

In the previous two posts I look at how Lion-O sets out of the shadow of his brother nd becomes an ideal leader. http://th09.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2011/214/8/6/thundercats_ho_by_farfie_kins-d42gvyq.jpg

First and most importantly is of course why we lead. As I have said pride is a big issue in terms of emotions. Connected to this is the idea we should not lead for our own sakes, we must remember the bigger picture. Pride blocks the bigger picture quite simply. We must lead for others; we must lead for the benefit of those whom we lead.. Too often it seems politics, throughout time and not just now, has been used as a time for personal promotion. We see how Lion-O learns to lead for his people from the Fishman Captain and how this is then contrasted to others like Vultaire or Grune. So personal promotion is not the goal of leading it is about the people. Nor should it be used as a way to be remembered. In fact Lion-O really questions his role as a leader, in the face of mortality, both of his deceased father and the Petalar Emrick, whose lifespan is just one day. He also questions his value as a leader with how kingdoms rise and falls throughout the ages. He is inspired by his friend Emrick though, who leads the Petalars onto a better life even though he will not get to see it himself. He asks if leading is just for hope, just for the illusion of a better life. However, as Emrick dies as his people escape the burning forest Lion-O is inspired and seemingly endowed with a new sense of worth. He sees the true value of leadership. He does it for the good of his people, for the now. Lion-O realises that there is no point in worrying about a time beyond your life because you cannot control it. You must try for the good of your people as much as you can control. It is not about the destination, leadership is not about what happens after you die, it is about the journey, it is about the decisions you make and the steps you take whilst you are in power that matter. Thus with the issue of pride that is throughout the series, and Emrick’s lesson, we should realise politics and leadership is not something for personal gain, but for those who we lead or govern.

Emerick was a teacher of Lion-O. http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/264/8/9/aceo___petalars_by_pandablubb-d4aiik2.jpg

Next racism and imperialism is a big topic in the series. Lion-O’s goal of mercy and teamwork means he wants to unite all the species together. He scolds other Cats throughout the series, like his companions in the first few episodes and then Pumyra later on, for the way they treat other species, namely Lizards, Rats and Dogs. One of Lion-O’s plans in fighting Mumm-Ra is to show leniency and mercy to his army so they don’t want to fight. Two notable examples of this are in the first episode towards a Lizard and, during their mission to save the cats, towards a small Rat. Both of these acts of mercy show their value as both help Lion-O, first, to escape after the fall of Thundera and then to fight the rat leader, Ratar-O. The original riot against Mumm-Ra, the one led by Leo, united the species gloriously. They did not fight for one specific race but all together for each other, under the flag of freedom. This idea of course became lost as we can see from the many opinions of the Lizards and Rats. He wants peace and equality between all lands. Similarly slavery is condemned when the Conquedor takes the Berbils and sells them for slaves. Quite simply the Thundercats attack the slaver and those who are buying the Berbils, and subsequently defend the robot bears when the others try to take revenge. This idea of imperialism and racism culminates with Lion-O’s choice not to take the Tech Stone from the Bird City, because it would needlessly endanger the lives of thousands. This is idea is most clear when Lion-O is confronted by the Prefect of the Bird City, Vultaire, who refuses to give Lion-O the Tech Stone because he fears the Cats will use it to hold power over the other species, not to help them. Lion-O, as we know but the Bird Prefect does not, is a kind king and he wants to help all species against Mumm-Ra. The whole issue of imperialism and racism is summed up in the second to last episode when the gang are flying up to the bird city. Lion-O looks down on all the countries of Third Earth and comments how they don’t seem divided by boundaries, that they all seem part of a whole. Thus racism and imperialism are seen as bad and inferior to equality and peace generally.

Lion-O and his team learn to be more lenient to other races than there more immediate forefathers. http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/268/b/5/thunder_thunder_thunder_by_anaklusmos_riptide-d4axs75.jpg

As I said above, when we compare Lion-O to Mumm-Ra in the last few episodes a struggle of power versus compassion arises. This is a question of why one rules, is it for personal power or is it for peace and the good of their people. Obviously the latter is shown to be more virtuous and more righteous throughout the series. At the same time in fact compassion shows itself to be more worthwhile for the leader as well as those he leads. Politics is a very symbiotic relationship, especially in a democratic system. Although Thundera is in no way democratic, it is quite obviously monarchical, a king needs his people, he needs manpower behind him, to rule. This is shown with Lion-O’s strategy to take down the lizard army by getting battalion to desert Mumm-Ra and by how seriously Mumm-Ra takes this threat. However one’s followers will only follow them in so long as they get benefit out of it. Mumm-Ra’s army revolt because they have been and will be even further repressed under his command. The Fishmen show disloyalty to their captain who shows no concern for their well being. This idea is most fully played out in the main narrative by Ratar-O and his right-hand rat Mordax. Ratar-O is very abusive to his people, Mordax most of all. On the other hand Lion-O has mercy on Mordax, saying it is just as powerful as the sword, when Pumyra attacks the Mouse. Although in the short run the eye-patched mouse shows loyalty towards his king, this loyalty runs out as Ratar-O continues to physically and verbally abuse his second in command, treating him more like a slave than anything else. When the time comes for Mordax to choose to help Ratar-O or Lion-O, the mouse chooses Lion-O, giving him the Sword of Omens and this lets Lion-O defeat Ratar-O (just as Jaga had defeated Ratilla). Thus, just as leniency and mercy is repaid by the Lizards in the first few episodes it is repaid too by the mouse Mordax, who says he wonders why a foreign king treats him better than his own king ever had. Liono nicely sums up Ratar-O’s opinion saying his people are just slaves on the other side of the whip. Politics in the series, despite not being in a democratic land, is still show as a relationship where a leader needs his people even more than they need him. Loyalty, like respect (as Panthro says), is earned not demanded. So too Lion-O had to earn Pumyra’s respect and loyalty in the Pit by not fighting her back. He does not treat her badly but convinces her he is leading for the sake of the people, for her sake and this convinces her to follow him. It is also notable how Pumyra refers to Lion-O as her king, a word without any truly bad connotations, to Mumm-Ra as her master, implying she is his slave, and Ratar-O is called a tyrant, a violent abusive ruler. Politics is a game of loyalty, and how one leads or is at least perceived to lead is very important for their followers (and thus themselves at the same time).

Also Lion-O learns to rule with compassion and is met with loyalty, unlike Mumm-Ra. http://th02.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2011/327/e/b/thundercats_2011_by_donpapi-d4h3dwp.png

Morality is further promoted by the two kittens of the Thundercats. From a flashback we learn that WilyKat and WilyKit are the eldest of four children, and in order to help their family survive after the loss of their father, they runaway so there would be enough food for their mother and siblings. However, when they are in Thundera they must steal in order to survive starvation in the slums. However, WilyKat and WilyKit, in their experiences with Tookit, learn that virtue, namely honesty and integrity, is more important than personal gain, in particular wealth and luxurious living. They also moralise, when they are hunting with Cheetara and Panthro, about killing the family of Chib-Chibs and even save the Chib-Chibs from another predator. In return the Chib-Chibs lead the cats to other food. They basically question why others should die or be hurt so they can survive; that the argument a sacrifice of others for a “greater good” is flawed. Later they say stealing is wrong, notably when Tygra suggests taking the Tech Stone. However, they do not say being a vegetarian is necessary, but they firmly seem to believe killing is wrong, just like stealing. It seems they present that the idea is that unless something is absolutely necessary any immoral act that would harm others is wrong. They too present the idea life, of anyone of any species, over everything else, is important. This idea is also present by Lion-O when he refuses to fight Pumyra in the Pit (just as Panthro had previously run away to avoid fighting Dobo to the death). Although this is not power versus compassion the same kind of struggle is shown and the ideals and morality is placed over advancing oneself for their own gain. This is especially seen with the Bird Prefect Vultaire who is too often dishonest and changes side in the war many times. He betrays his people and the Thundercats save the Birds from certain death. We can see that dishonest leaders do not lead for the good of the people, they are concern only for number one, themselves.

The two kittens learn and even look to teach others about morality in their actions. http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/223/4/6/thundercats__lion_o_and_kitkat_by_farfie_kins-d46751s.jpg

But this leaves one more issue open, sacrifice. We have seen that throughout the series sacrificing others for your cause is wrong. Sacrificing the baby Tygra so the tiger clan could appease the ancient spirits (the same spirits that help Mumm-Ra) was the wrong way to cure the disease that affected them. That killing the Chib-Chibs to survive is wrong, just as killing others in the Pit is seen as barbaric and evil. However, where does this leave Panthro (and his first set of arms)? Panthro sacrifices his arms to trap Grune in the Astral Plane, just as Grune had sacrificed his own tooth to help himself and Panthro from Spidera. As an audience we don’t mourn Grune and the writers never really imply, through their characters that what Panthro did was in anyway wrong. I mean Panthro gets another set of arms very quickly and does very little suffering indeed. Another time of sacrifice is in fact praised beyond anything else. This is Lion-O sacrificing his soul in order to help his Thundercats, after he fails his fourth trial. In fact every time the Thundercats put their necks on the line, in terms of battle, to help others it is fine. It comes down to a matter of their goal, or their bigger picture. Grune does everything for his own ambitions as he wants to be king of the cats. Grune even looks to betray Mumm-Ra. On the other hand Panthro and Lion-O want to do this for the benefit of the Thundercats and the peoples of Third Earth generally. Their sacrifices are for selfless reasons, comparative to Grune, who in his sacrifice says he has further on the political ladder to climb. Thus it seems the self-sacrifice is to be praised of a leader or politician. It is alright to make your own sacrifices, just as WilyKat and WilyKit sacrificed their own livelihood for their family, as long it virtuously helps those who lead for (or as long it keeps the bigger picture in mind).

Even Grune shows self-sacrefice can be good, but unfortunately he doesn't understand the true purpose of politics. http://dannortonart.deviantart.com/art/Grune-the-Destroyer-Concept-290512889

Another more convoluted issue that is raised is that of environmentalism and technological advance. The environment is of course placed as something that is important and worth protecting. This is quite obvious from episode 11 named Forest of the Magi Oar. We learn that protecting a forest is a good thing but using it for your own means, as the Wood Forgers do, is bad. In fact it somewhat seems that Zig and his fellow Wood Forgers are a tad ignorant of what they are doing. They save they are protecting the environment but really they are destroying. So too many people in our world are ignorant of the ways they are destroying the environment. But why should we protect the environment? Obviously for our healthy, but also for that of other animals/species. The Pedlars, a woodland race almost beyond Lion-O’s comprehension, due to the way they age, would be destroyed if their forest was destroyed. Like in our world many other creatures, seemingly unrelated to us, would be killed if we cannot look after the environment. Destruction of the environment, even if you are trying to save it, is not in keeping with your bigger picture, not to mention it is sacrificing something living and necessary for life for some other “greater good”. Technology is naturally put in opposition to nature and natural things, such as during the Soul Sever episode, where it is used to unnaturally save his family. So the question of whether technology is good or bad is also raised. The bombs and war machines the lizards use are obviously bad, but at the same time the birds use technology for life and peace. Lion-O concludes, like any non-cognitive object in life, technology is neither good nor bad, it totally depends on how it is used, whether it be for destruction and power, or for the preservation of life.

The soul sever raises the question of technology's place in society. http://th07.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2012/152/5/b/soul_sever_concept_by_dingo107-d51xuxd.jpg

Thus I would argue that in fact the main story is just a way of giving us these messages and that the important artifacts of the story are just symbols for the values portrayed. The first Stone of Power is a symbol of looking at the bigger picture and Liono only gains it when he can truly look at the bigger picture. So too the second stone is representative of how and why we lead. It is parallel with the Star of Plundarr, the symbol of power vs compassion, and is in the city where personal pride is pit against communal good. In other words the struggle for the Tech Stone mirrors the struggle of leading for the correct reasons. Unfortunately Mumm-Ra wins, all too true of how in our world politicians that have self-serving motives win elections over those who truly desire the public good. What then is the Book of Omens? Well the book is a symbol for the series itself. The book is said to tell the history and the future. So too the series recounts Lion-O’s history as well as lessons for the future. Just after Lion-O gets the book he is put into a flashback by the book in order to learn lessons that will be relevant. In particular his history lesson teaches him about the power of cooperation between the species, the benefits of freedom and the true aims of leadership. This all helped Leo defeat Mumm-Ra in the first place. So just as the book gives Lion-O directions for achieving his goals, so too the series and history gives us directions on how to achieve our goals correctly. So only when Lion-O first learns to use his “Sight Beyond Sight” in episode 6 and after he has forsaken his pride and other emotions in episode 5, he is able to get the Book of Omens, showing he has learnt his lessons, but he needs to keep them in mind, as he still struggles with these later on in the series. 

The items and symbols of the series: http://th08.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2011/236/5/0/key_of_thundera__book_of_omens_by_risiavyle-d47j8tp.jpg

Thus many values are promoted. Most important of these are leading for ones people, not for themselves. Next is how imperialism and racism are wrong, but equality, peace and morality generally are right. Also self-sacrifice for others is fine, but sacrificing others for oneself is not. Next the environment should be protected, but technology is not necessarily bad, it is all about how it is used. This series wants us to learn these things, just as the Thundercats learn them from the Book of Omens. 

My favorite piece of art. http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/300/4/c/happy_halloween_2012_by_reaperclamp-d5j5xle.jpg

The Politics of Third Earth: Part 2, Lion-O as an Ideal Leader -Thundercats (2011)

In the previous post (you can read it here: http://animevigil.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-politics-of-third-earth-part-1-lion.html) I described how Lion-O learnt from others and became an ideal leader after his Trials. Because Lion-O is basically a flawless leader with his second life, it is valuable to judge other leaders against the king of the Thundercats, considering up to this point Lion-O has learnt from others, such as the elephant Aten or the forest guardian Viragor, but now others will learn from him.

After his trials, Lion-O became an ideal leader, like his ancestors, and now should be compared to those lesss worthy. http://th04.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2012/040/2/e/king_leon_o_by_claymore__miria-d4p6zlj.jpg

First we could of course compare to his rival for the throne and adopted brother, Tygra. Straight after Lion-O proves himself as a leader Tygra gets his opportunity to become a leader of his own tiger clan. However, Tygra finds himself wanted (as well as the other leaders within the village) when it comes to pride. The tigers' pride (in relation to asking for help from the other cats) means a disease and then curse ravages the whole village. At the same time they lose sight of the bigger picture as they are willing to kill the baby Tygra in a “one life for many” deal with the ancient spirits. However, they realise that this would be counter-intuitive, killing for the sake of living, and Tygra too forgets his pride, showing humility by forgiving his father rather than holding him accountable for his mistakes. Even though the tigers themselves are not saved Tygra learns a valuable lesson just as Lion-O did. However, Tygra’s pride still pops up, for example he is easily baited by the Prefect of the bird city, but on the other hand Lion-O’s pride never seems to reappear. We should note how Lion-O learnt to forget his pride, but Tygra did not. 

Tygra, potential leader of the Tiger-clan, should be the first to be compared, as the two were rival throughout the first part. http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/248/7/4/tygra_by_pm9402-d48y0pf.png

Pumyra is another cat who could learn a lot from Lion-O. She is full of anger due to the fall of Thundrea and how she saw Lion-O escape to fight another day but unknowingly did not save her when she was trapped under some rubble. Lion-O however tries to quell her anger, first by not fighting her in the Pit, which subsequently turns her anger into loyalty. Although she never really lets go of her anger and revenge as she always is prompting Lion-O to make decisions based on these feelings. Most notably she wants Lion-O to steal the Tech Stone, both because it is their goal and because she holds resentment towards the birds that had imprisoned her, shown by how she kidnaps and threatens the Prefect of the City. Now that Lion-O has let go of such emotions when it comes to leading the series needs some agent to put these kind of choices in front of Lion-O, and Pumyra is exactly this. Lion-O never indulges in these feelings and we see Pumyra’s flaw as Lion-O’s growth. At the same time we could see Pumyra’s character fault as Mumm-Ra’s. Just as the Thundercats will look to learn from Lion-O, Pumyra learnt from Mumm-Ra. She is in fact a dead cat having been raised to life by Mumm-Ra, how could she not be influenced by him? Her anger, obsession with power and revenge are all aspects of Mumm-Ra’s leadership. The only reason she follows him is also to exact revenge on the king that abandoned her. However, as stated, Pumyra’s man role is to show how Lion-O is now an ideal leader without feelings of anger, pride or revenge.

Pumyra, after her twist betrayal. http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/220/6/d/untitled_drawing_by_dingo107-d5aalyf.png

                               

Of course the one who Lion-O should be most compared to is really Pumyra’s master Mumm-Ra. Mumm-Ra is violent, merciless and absolutely power-hungry. He will do anything, absolutely anything to achieve his goals. The main distinction between himself and Lion-O (as well as Leo the first Thundercat) is the way in which each comes to power and how they look to use their power. Lion-O admittedly was given his power by inheritance but he proved his worthiness by going through his trials, both of his ancestor Leo and at his death. Mumm-Ra on the other hand seems to have been given power by evil ancient spirits and by the masses of soldier he uses to get the artifacts he uses to fight. Why they fight is the biggest difference of all. Lion-O fights for freedom, for peace and for equality amoungst all races. Although the Thundercats had not always upheld these values Leo held true, Lion-O is looking to make amends. We can see this especially with his treatment of the lizard army. Rather than fighting his people’s long time enemies he lets them go and tells them to just desert Mumm-Ra’s army and stay home. Mumm-Ra on the other hand has only one goal. This is domination of the universe for his sole benefit. He doesn’t care who or how many he has to step on or even kill to get to this position. The main example of this is when he is making the Sword of Plun-Darr. To do this he uses the material he gathers from destroying the star of Plun-Darr, despite being warned by his generals Leo and Panthera that doing so would end billions of lives (as the Star of Plun-Darr supported life on ten planets, three of which were inhabited by intelligent life). Mumm-Ra shows little concern for this and it is this that actually leads to the rebellion, led by Leo, against Mumm-Ra. Lion-O is put into the same situation when he is made to choose between Pumyra and the Sword of Plun-Darr, when he fights with Mumm-Ra after the fall of Ratar-O. Lion-O, rather than choosing the power of the evil sword, chooses to save his fellow cat. He leads for his people. This type of decision arises again, more obviously, when he is told by Pumyra to steal the Tech Stone, but refuses on the basis it will kill thousands as it keeps the birds’ city in the air. This contrast is then further developed into a contest between power and emotions. As I said before emotions, particularly anger and pride, can cloud judgement, however here emotions allow Lion-O to see and retain a strong grip upon the “bigger picture”. Compassion, it seems, allows Lion-O to remember what he is fighting for, the freedom and ultimately the lives of those on Third Earth. Thus Lion-O’s feelings and goals for leadership are in stark contrast to those of Mumm-Ra.

Mumm-Ra, is the polar opposite of Lion-O it seems. http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/213/e/b/mum_ra_2011_by_jazylh-d42cdww.jpg

It is also worthwhile to look at the generals Mumm-Ra surrounds himself with. First of course there is Slithe the lizard general, who basically acts as the right hand of Mumm-Ra. He destroys whatever it takes to catch Lion-O, such as the forest of the Petalars. He shows he is ruthless and sneaky and cares very little about his own people. Lion-O on the other hand shows concern for all races throughout the series. This is most notably done in the beginning of the series with two lizards and then again at the end of the series when he shows concern for the bird city. Then there is Grune, who looks to betray all those around him, Panthro, Claudus (the first king and Lion-O's father) and even Mumm-Ra himself, in order to fully advance his political position. Even as a lowly soldier he knew he wanted to be king and will do all that he can to be king. Lion-O never shows wavering loyalty to his people and is even willing to sacrifice his life for them (after his failed trials) and refuses to fight Pumyra (in the Pit), things Grune would never do. He is solely focussed on his own promotion, not helping others and this is why he seems so bad. 

Grune was willing to do whatever it was to get power. http://th08.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2012/073/2/f/thundercat_commission_by_njay-d4ss636.jpg

After Grune's death or entrapment Mumm-Ra gets two replacements, Addicus the monkey and the jackal Kaynar. Both show themselves to be likewise ruthless and even want to kill others just for fun, shown when they are being set free by Slithe they just want to kill those that imprisoned them rather than simply escape. Lion-O numerous times chooses just to escape and fight another day. In fact these generals were brought in to stop the lizard army’s desertion rate, not through good leadership, but through ruthlessly punishing those who did revolt. During their roles as generals they continue to lead through anger and revenge rather than compassion. Mumm-Ra’s generals, just like Mumm-Ra himself are starkly contrasted to Lion-O who is controls his pride after his trials and never acts on anger or revenge, especially when dealing with the birds and their Prefect. Thus Lion-O shows himself to be an ideal leader when compared to Mumm-Ra’s generals. Thus the things Lion-O learnt to do and to be as a leader are further reinforced to the audience when we look at comparing him to Mumm-Ra's generals.

Mumm-Ra's lizard general, Slithe, and one of newer mercenary generals, Addicus. http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/052/3/6/thundercats_concept_art_by_dingo107-d4qivsa.jpg

So too Lion-O seems ideal when compared to leaders from the second half of the series that are unrelated to Mumm-Ra. I could also include Zig, the Wood Forger, and the Fishman captain here too, but I feel above I have described how these two are used for Lion-O to learn from, rather than to compare Lion-O to. First an independent rival and enemy of the cats, the rat king Ratar-O. He has enslaved the Cats who escaped Thundera into mining into Mt. Plun-Darr, where the Sword of Plun-Darr was buried by Jaga. Not only does the Rat king (or rather tyrant) treat the Cats like slaves but he also treats his loyal rodent subjects the same way. Lion-O calls the other Rats and Mice slaves behind the whips and Ratar-O’s right-hand mouse Mordax says that Lion-O treats him better than Ratar-O ever did (after Lion-O shows him mercy but Ratar-O just whips him for obedience). This ultimately leads to Ratar-O’s downfall as Mordax shows loyalty to Lion-O, giving him the Sword of Omens, and shows why Lion-O is an ideal leader and Ratar-O is not: because a good leader shows mercy and compassion, not only to his own people but peoples of other leaders. Thus Lion-O and Ratar-O are polar opposites and Lion-O is seen as the right way to go. Likewise their reasons for leading are different. Ratar-O wants the Sword of Plun-Darr for the same reason as his ancestor who first found it, Ratilla. This is to dominate other nations and make Rats the master race. Lion-O however uses his sword to create peace and equality. Yet again the two leaders are seen as vastly different and we side with Lion-O.

Ratilla, Ratar-O's ancestor who found the sword of Plundarr. http://dragonforcer.deviantart.com/art/Ratilla-316401663

The other leader Lion-O should be compared to is the Prefect of the Bird City, Vultaire. Vultaire is seen as arrogant and dishonest from his manner of speech and actions towards the Thundercats, especially when they make a wager for the Tech Stone. Not only does he arrogantly think he will win (after he has given Tygra an inferior airship), Vultaire also refuses to give the Thundercats the Stone of Power when Tygra wins. He then treats the Thundercats as prisoners and only trusts them when it turns out to be his only hope of defending his city against the forces of Mumm-Ra. The Thundercats help the Birds but Vultaire betrays them, only looking out for his own neck, as he joins Mumm-Ra’s forces and helps them attack Lion-O. Vultaire’s dishonesty, constantly changing sides and generally immorality shows he is a bad leader. He is concerned with himself more than his people too, as all his actions leads to the city of his people falling to the ground, and he is not the one to save them, the Thundercats do. Lion-O on the other hand is very morally righteous, he objects to stealing the Stone of Power, to kidnapping and threatening Vultaire (this was done by Pumira of her own accord) and generally cares about those others around him. Vultaire is, like many others, seen as inferior to Lion-O mainly in terms of morality and how this relates to his leadership of his people. 

Vultaire, the Prefect of the bird city. http://th05.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2012/164/d/1/vultaire_by_dirgeyoucandanceto-d53bgmu.jpg

Thus Liono shows himself to be ideal even against those leaders that are not influenced by Mumm-Ra. Although none of the mentioned characters have to be lectured on the whole "Sight Beyond Sight" thing they all have flaws that Lion-O had to address in becoming a good leader. They are all blinded on leading properly, some by anger, others by pride and others just do not realise they must lead for the good of others. In my next post I will look at how we can connect this all with our politics. Read the next part here: http://animevigil.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-politics-of-third-earth-part-3-lion.html

The Politics of Third Earth: Part 1, Lion-O as a Prospective Leader -Thundercats (2011)

In 2011 Cartoon Network showed a reboot of the 80s classic Thundercats. This series tells of the struggles between the ThunderCats and the evil sorcerer Mumm-Ra, following the destruction of their home, the kingdom of Thundera. To stop Mumm-Ra taking over the universe they must roam the planet Third Earth to find ancient powerful weapons. This series, because it was only given one season (26 episodes of the 52 planned), didn't tell a complete story. It thus only chronicles the growth of Lion-O from an adolescent lion into the great king of the Thundercats he will become. In the first episode Lion-O is told he must go through a rite of passage to become king. Throughout the episodes we can see how Lion-O feels inferior to his father, such as from Panthro’s comments in episode 5, and he feels he needs to prove himself. Also in the first two episodes we also see how he is inferior to his adopted older brother, the tiger Tygra and there is a great rivalry between them. Although he never does the actual rite of passage the following 20+ episodes really act like this for him, after his impromptu coronation in episode 2, and as a way for him to prove he deserves to be king despite the qualities of his older brother. In his development we also get potentially contradictory messages about how to lead but really it seems to be complex comments about leading and politics nowadays as well.

A more 80s inspired, stylised fanart. http://th03.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2011/230/1/8/mumm_ra_bustin_out_by_naldridge-d472qf8.jpg

One of the most important phrases throughout the season of Thundercats is “Sight Beyond Sight”. It refers to Lion-O being able to use the Sword of Omens as a mystical telescope to scout out his enemies and more importantly help him find the Book of Omens and Stones of Power, which he needs to defeat Mumm-Ra. However, in the first episode Jaga, the wise cleric, associates “Sight Beyond Sight” with the qualities of a good leader, not just some hallucinations or visions. It means that a leader should be able to lead with a clear view of all issues and then act accordingly. When Lion-O has troubles with his “Sight Beyond Sight” powers it is because he is not looking at the bigger picture. This happens numerous times. For example when Lion-O is looking for the Book of Omens, in episode 6, the sword fails to work. However. after Lion-O is given some guidance. the sword works and he finds a switch, which ultimately leads him to the Book. But this idea is presented  in more detail and more importantly when Lion-O is looking for the first Stone of Power. After the sword shows him it is in the elephant village, he cannot find the stone. He is told this is because he cannot see the bigger picture. This is illustrated when he kills the Wraiths, bugs that eat the elephants’ fruit, but doesn't realise their buzzing keeps away a bigger threat, in the form of a rock giant that could eat the village. He is told he cannot see the bigger consequences of his actions and he sees the sword as merely a tool or weapon (and thus his political position to get what he wants, Cheetara). He needs a larger perspective on his leadership in general. So he goes to the Forest of the Magi Oar, where again the sword fails, and Lion-O is again told to look at the bigger picture, this time by Zig the Wood Forger. After talking to the real forest guardian Viragor, he realises both the bigger picture and how this bigger picture is what he is fighting for. After learning his lesson Lion-O returns to the elephant village where he applies his new skills and knowledge, finds out where the Stone of Power is and then further applies what he has learned to find the stone in the Astral Plane, in episode 13, when both Tygra and Mumm-Ra could not. In this he learns his rivalry with Tygra is not the aim of his leadership,  but his (or rather their) real goal is to find the Stone and help their people and that Tygra is in fact on his side and really wants to help him, even when he questions Lion-O’s judgement. Likewise Lion-O learns, from his experience of the elephants, that having everything (all the fruit) and achieving this with violence is not important, survival and peace between species is more important. Thus the first half or so of the season was based on Lion-O learning how to lead whilst viewing the bigger picture and keeping this in mind.

Jaga introduces the idea of "Sight Beyond Sight". http://th03.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2011/221/2/a/jaga_jaga____by_njay-d45yz4c.png

However, at the same time Lion-O is told he must pay attention to the smaller details of tasks if he is to succeed. He cannot just focus on the bigger picture if he is to achieve it. This happens in episode 6 where he is trying too hard to look at the bigger picture. Cheetara tells him that if he looks too hard he will miss what is right in front of him. It means that in this episode, when they must go through a series of traps, they are almost killed numerous times. The details are important too. But what is more important, what is the show trying to say? Well the key to this whole argument is episode 3, the first episode where Lion-O is truly a king making the decisions for his people. In this he follows the bad example of the Fishman captain, Koinelius Tunar, who wants to kill the Ramlak because it destroyed his people’s lovely ocean oasis, drying it up into a desert sea. He focuses only on revenge and he is willing to sacrifice his crew in his pursuit of revenge. But when he does his he forgets the truly bigger picture. This is who exactly he was leading or fighting for. In episode three Lion-O realises that the captain was wrong in just wanting to kill the Ramlak and that he is really should have been working for his people, or those who he is leading, because he really should want to restore the Desert Sea for the livelihood of his people. Lion-O learns, from the bad example of the pirate captain, that there is no point in sacrificing his people’s interests (or rather their lives) for some goal, because you want to achieve this goal to help your crew. You are leading them for their benefit and it is all undone if they are killed in the process. The “bigger picture” is not the goal you want to achieve; it is in fact WHY you want to achieve this goal. So we must pay attention to the big picture, we must remember the big goal of politics, but we must not ignore the small details in the hopes of achieving this dream. In other words the bigger picture must be remembered and then the smaller details must be evaluated if they are achievable and in touch with this bigger goal. If we don’t have the bigger picture in mind the smaller details will be irrelevant.

Lion-O must learn how to use his sword his sword to conquer "Sight Beyond Sight". http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/084/a/2/lion_o_thunder_cats_by_valvicto4-d3cfhq0.png

Another example proves this. When he is in the Forest of the Magi Oar, episode 11, the Thundercats encounter the Wood Forgers, lead by a certain Zig, who saves them from “evil” spirits when the Sword of Omens fails to work. The Wood Forgers try to protect the forest through their paper based magic and proudly show the Thundercats their paper mill where they make thousands of pieces of paper in a day. They are then attacked by the “evil” monster bird known as Viragor. After his conversation with the bird and seeing the forest destroyed, Lion-O realises he is not truly putting the pieces of the puzzle together, just as he couldn't with Zig’s puzzle previously. Cheetara had earlier questioned if the forest could sustain the paper mill and then Lion-O confronts the Wood Forgers on their deforestation, saying how they have lost sight of the bigger picture, protecting the forest. How can they be protecting something they are destroying? The answer is that they are not. Zig says that some (trees) must suffer for the greater good, but this just proves he has lost sight of what the greater good really is, just as the pirate captain had. So we must find solutions to the problems, but in order to find the correct smaller steps in our large solution we must remember the why of the goal. Why do the Wood Forgers want to defeat Viragor? To protect the forest. Are their methods saving the forest? No, they are only destroying it. Viragor was in support of the Wood Forgers when they used dead branches on the forest floor to make paper, but in gaining power they became power hungry and lost sight of their true goal. So too we can explain why the Soul Sewer is evil and misguided in this way, he forgot the bigger picture. We can also say why sacrificing the baby Tygra would have been wrong for the mountainous Tiger clan, because he was part of who they were ultimately trying to protect. Their idea of one life for many does not hold up because their methods are not keeping in mind their “greater good”.

Lion-O must learn to be the best king he can. http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/086/6/c/at_your_service_majesty_by_claymore__miria-d4u6g27.jpg

As I said above, another part of the all important episode three lesson was how the captain showed nothing but anger in choosing revenge over anything else. Another part of Lion-O’s growth is how he views the relationship between his emotions and leadership. In particular Lion-O must suppress his aggressive emotions to be a good leader, as they can distract him from seeing the bigger picture and make him forget what or who he is truly leading for. He must especially contain his anger and revenge. In episode three he learns that anger and focussing on revenge is definitely a bad emotion to a leader, as it consumes the fishman captain and makes him lose sight of the bigger picture, the true goal of his mission. In fact more often than not Lion-O’s anger is connected to pride. In particular Tygra is able to make Lion-O angry, due to their intense rivalry and this makes Lion-O forget his true goals. This is evident during their struggles over the crown throughout the first half of the series. Lion-O’s pride is especially high because he is usually seen as inferior to Tygra at many times: first in their contest to ring the bell, both before their father’s death and then during his trials to return to life; in making military decisions, such as when they return to the elephant village and Tygra has a better idea in attacking the lizards; and just in terms of strength and mental fortitude, when they fight to ring the bell at the start and in the Astral Plane. In fact this whole political rivalry culminates with their fight in the Astral Plane, as Lion-O is in the mind of being betrayed (because he has been warned by the elephant Anet of this). In the place where thoughts become reality, a sword appears before Tygra and the two fight, agreeing to end their rival for the throne there and then, also having just learnt Tygra caused Lion-O to be trapped in a well as kids and then abandoned him (when Liono thought it was just an accident). Although Tygra wins their battle, it is put to an end in terms of politics when Tygra reveals he truly respects Lion-O and would never betray his brother and king. Just like when they were kids, Tygra never abandoned Lion-O, he just regretfully went to find help. The two realise their rivalry can only bring destruction upon themselves so they put it away, for the mean time. However, Lion-O’s pride returns even more viciously when, after they return from the Astral Plane, Tygra betrays Lion-O, by kissing Cheetara, the girl both of them had been vying for.

The rivalry between brothers caused Lion-O to lose his way. http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/292/5/f/knock_it_off_dad_by_reaperclamp-d5ic3xv.jpg

So why is Lion-O’s pride wrong? Often Lion-O’s pride actually leads to him wrongly questioning others ideas. This happens numerous times, for example when his pride towards Panthro leads him to attacking the mine, rather than waiting for night, and this backfires. In the most extreme case this pride actually led to paranoia and questioning everyone else’s motivation behind giving him alternate ideas. The main example of this is (after feeling betrayed by both Tygra and Cheetara with their kiss) Lion-O stubbornly goes up an exposed mountain cliff-face, to find the next Stone of Power, despite others telling him not to. This leads to an ambush by Mumm-Ra’s three generals, as predicted by Panthro, and ultimately Lion-O’s death as he falls off the mountain in the ambush. Although everything turns out well, the fact this happens leads to Lion-O’s trials to see if he is a worthy king, and the only part he falls in is his pride, namely towards his brother. Well basically pride, just like anger and revenge, clouds judgement. It causes Lion-O to make the wrong moves because he is doing things for the wrong reasons. In other words, Lion-O’s pride makes him lose sight of the bigger picture so his decisions are not carefully weighted enough for the good of his people; they are aimed at proving that he himself is a good leader, better than all others. In fact Lion-O’s pride (and this leads to his anger and revenge) is also caused by a deep undercurrent of feeling unworthy, which has been causes him to want to prove himself. His rivalry with Tygra has usually ended with him looking inferior. So too his feeling of unworthiness, when compared to his father Claudus by Panthro, who says his father was a true leader. Panthro subsequently reprimands Lion-O by saying respect must not be demanded of someone but should be earned. We must remember Lion-O’s coronation was done at the last possible second in a very quick manner by Jaga, as they escaped Thundera. So too in the Drifter episode Lion-O just feels the need to prove he and the Sword of Omens are better than all others, when he competes in the contest to cut a large rock. Hubris is shown throughout the town but Lion-O’s undercurrent of feeling unworthy is then reveals when he becomes too proud to walk away from the Duelist and ends up losing the Sword of Omens. 

So too the rivalry for love also made Lion-O lose his way. http://th09.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2011/268/a/9/thundercats_ho_2011_by_chuvi-d4aw4gj.jpg

In contrast to pride from feeling that they are lacking, a leader must have self-belief so that they don’t have to feel they need to prove themselves. They cannot be depressed and have no confidence in what they are doing. Lion-O expresses this side of a leader during his Trials in order to earn his second life. He says that some of the tasks, especially those set by Cheetara and Panthro are impossible, but they respond if he thinks that then the tasks will be impossible. He is taught (like in Emrick’s episode too) not to view anything as impossible and without hope, and that he should have confidence in his abilities. This of course culminates with Panthro’s trial where Panthro shows him that Lion-O is a great leader, and he need not be the strongest (nor faster than Cheetara) he just needs to lead with confidence. Like when he frees the lizards in the first two episodes, he is told to have faith in his ideals when others question him. In the Drifter episode Lion-O learns the leader does not have to be the strongest but must be have enough self-awareness to know their weaknesses and shortcomings to hide them or use them to their advantages. The analogy of the willow is used because, although it is not as strong as other pieces of wood, it is flexible enough to bind the other pieces of wood. This perspective helps him win the fight with the Duelist as he realises he is not as strong as the Duelist but compensates this with tactics. So Lion-O may not be the strongest, fastest, or most stealthy or wise but he needs to be like the willow and use his team to the best of their abilities. This is why he is able to overcome his trials after death. 

Lion-O must learn to use the talents and characteristics of his team to gain victory against the forces of Mumm-Ra. http://www.ckohler.net/offsite/Thundercats/epicFanArt.png

During the two episodes of The Trials of Lion-O is where Lion-O fully becomes the sort of ideal leader that he should be. In his first trial he is able to find the key off of WilyKit and WilyKat, because he uses smell rather than sight. Although this just seems like a fun way for him to get past the optical illusions created by the “real” WilyKit and WilyKat, it really just shows Lion-O’s experience with perspective. He is able to push past the illusions and find the truth, showing he can push past the distractions and understand the true goal and bigger picture of leadership. Lion-O’s second trial is beating Cheetara in a race through a maze. After getting over his confidence issues he uses a bird to fly over the maze and beats the very quick feline to the key. This symbolises a growth from his pride induced mistake that lead him to his trials. He learns to use teamwork in an innovative manner. He realises the power of teamwork and innovation is better than any individual's solo judgement and power. Next Lion-O is challenged by Panthro to a pseudo-sumo match. Again, after some confidence issues, Lion-O realises the true goal of his challenge as to show his qualities as a leader, rather than test him as an entity who is not strong or fast. He shows the confidence a leader needs and orders Panthro out of the ring, learning his lesson about how a leader must have self-belief to be successful. We should remember it was Panthro who scolded Lion-O previously for his pride, saying respect must be earned, not demanded or taken for granted. Subsequently Lion-O must prove that he is not too proud when he rematches Tygra in a bell ringing contest. When Liono loses, because he still holds this rival in him (due to the kiss between Cheetara and Tygra), Lion-O feels hugely regretful. He realises his pride has got the best of him, so he forsakes his soul in order to return and save his gang. He gives up all he has, he gives up his pride with his soul in the “ultimate” sacrifice for his people. Lion-O is thus rewarded when he is given his second life without having his soul taken. Thus Lion-O succeeds his trials, just as he had succeeded in taking on the role of Leo, the first and idealised king of the Thundercats, in a flashback. His second life is symbolic of him becoming the ideal leader against whom we can judge others. It is relevant these last two challenges of confidence and arrogance were within the palace, showing Lion-O was proving himself worthy of the throne with these. It is also relevant that during this time Tygra fails as a leader in his attempt to reclaim the Sword from Mumm-Ra and his generals, but when Lion-O returns he succeeds. Thus Lion-O finally surpasses his older brother. Lion-O also learns throughout this time both pride or rather arrogance is bad but he must still have confidence in his abilities.

One of Lion-O's first trials involved reenacting the deeds of his ancestor, Leo. http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/244/5/4/54961aae0b77e03a8a0814ae156eed72-d48jrga.jpg

You can read more about how Lion-O, rather than being shown as an inferior leader by comparison, is shown as the ideal one in the second half the Thundercats series. The second part to this essay is here: http://animevigil.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-politics-of-third-earth-part-2-lion.html

How Should I Feel? (vol. 3) - Millennium Actress (Sennen Joyuu)

Millenium Actress is a film that won several awards, but because it was released in the same year as Miyazaki’s masterpiece Spirited Away, it was somewhat overshadowed. It tells the life story of Chiyoko Fujiwara, a once famous actor who has been in a hermit-like state since she left acting around. She is interviewed by Tachibana, her biggest admirer, as the studio she worked for is being torn down. Before he interviews her Tachibana gives her a key and this leads Chiyoko to reflect on how she got the key and retell the story of her journey to find out what it opens. This film is seemingly underappreciated as it has many high points. For example, the visuals are very appealing as each flashback is shown slightly differently. It looks as if it could be a Ghibli film. The movie is overall a very moving journey. 

Millennium Actress is one of many good films by Satoshi Kon, like Perfect Blue and Paprika:http://www.zerochan.net/507886#full

For me the highlight of the film was definitely the storytelling. The way the creators of this masterpiece used the various films to tell the story was beautiful. She was displayed as everything from a ninja princess, to a teacher, from a nurse, to a geisha and from a futuristic astronaut to just a normal lady. Although her time period and character changed, the story stayed the same; she was still searching for her long last idealised lover. Not only the fact so many different stories were used in one coherent plot, but the way they showed extra details about how Chiyoko felt and reflected on the situations she lived in. For example when she was questioned about her key she felt as if those questioning her were nothing more than school children looking for gossip, but it was more important to her. Likewise although her fights with the characters played by Eiko were symbolic of how Eiko was her actual enemy throughout the film, misdirecting her with the fortuneteller and later stealing the key. It was also used to nicely play on what other characters told her. When she visits Hokkaido it is in the film where she visits a moon because the mystery man described it as like a distant planet. In addition it allows the film to create this sort of time paradox of past and present, where Chiyoko is reliving the past through her films and memoriesm which is also really interesting. Overall I really found the way in which this love story was told as new, innovative and exceptional. This alone made the film worth watching for me.

The movie poster shows that many movie archetypes went into telling this great story.

But I do digress as you can probably guess from the title that I will be exploring how this film can be emotionally received in two ways. First we could be happy despite Chiyoko’s death. First she has got what seemed to be her most cherished possession back from Tachibana. The journey she has been on with Tachibana has seemingly restored her memory of the man and brought her happiness in recounting her life. The key literally unlocks the door to her youth, which seems to be long buried, either by will or by age. The key also unlocks something else, Chiyoko’s hope for the future. Although she is dying she is at peace now with her key and memories. She says she is happy because she is meeting the mysterious painter man she loves, as she passes into the next. Even though she knows the man does not actually exist, she loves the journey in search of her perfect man nevertheless. It is her life’s adventure, as epic as the situations of all her films combined. Her new journey is likened to a space odyssey in search of her love. This search both keeps her young and makes her happy. She is joyfully going on the next stage of her expedition, and we should be happy for her too, despite mourning for her. 

The journey to find her first love did bring Chiyoko happiness: http://www.deviantart.com/art/Millennium-Actress-79096549

Although at the end Chiyoko appears happy, there is a harsh reality behind all this that made Chiyoko’s journey a sad one as well. First she never met her man and, as we learn from Tachibana’s story of the scarred policeman, Chiyoko was chasing a ghost the whole time. She could never find her man, no matter how hard she looked, as he was captured and tortured to death. Her journey was one of hardship and sorrow. Throughout the film it seemed as though the closest people she had were just liars and those who discouraged her. Otaki just wanted to go out with her, Eiko was jealous of her youth and her mother was less than encouraging. The only person who she was close to was her imaginary man, a very lonely life indeed. She is happy living like a hermit once she faces reality of her situation (after almost dying in filming). The main reason I see her journey as a said one is because it is portrayed as a curse. This is done when she (in a film digression when looking for her “lord”) drinks a potion from some old weaving lady. It is then revealed she is under her spell to be in love for her man for the rest of her life. This is not portrayed as a blessing but as a curse, because this lady will often reappear in reflections to laugh at the misfortunes and wrong turns Chiyoko makes. This woman appropriately is revealed with reflections as she is in fact Chiyoko’s elder self and represents Chiyoko’s mortality. It shows how Chiyoko really feels as though her journey is a waste of time and she hates how deeply she loves someone she will never find and how someone she only met for a brief period of time could have such a last effect on her (because she was so young perhaps). The reason she quits making films, which she kept making in order to find her lover in the hope he would see them and find her, is because she sees her reflection and realizes he will not recognise. She realizes she is too old to be recognisable, showing she has wasted her life with this journey. She does not want her key when she rushes out and presumably does not look for it again. This film is very poignant and mostly for sad reasons.

Some nice fanart shows how Chiyoko’s key also brought her sadness: http://www.zerochan.net/392390#full

Despite being poignant and a sad film in many ways this film brings quite a bit of humour to the table as well. This is mainly done with Kyoji, the cameraman. Although he does offer some valuable commentary he does seem to be the character that brings comic relief to the table. This is shown from the outset with his stark contrast to his boss Tachibana, which creates humour with the way they react to the tea for example. Kyoji’s commentary can also bring comedy like how he comments that he wished Eiko gave him money, when she plays a character betrayed by a lover for money. Likewise, Tachibana also brings comedy with his various roles and the overemotional way he reacts to Chiyoko’s scenes and seeing her. However, I was left wondering if this humour was needed or even appropriate to the film. The only joke that was central to the story as showed how Chiyoko was reenacting her films to tell her lifestory, was when the flashback cut early and she and Tachibana were still acting as though they were in the film. This was not the only time the fourth wall was broken but again I wonder were such jokes that take you out of the moment worth it. I suppose it could come down to how you feel about the film. If you see it as having a happy message then surely you are more likely to accept these pieces. However, I believe the film could and should have been more touching without these, as I felt the film to be one of heartbreak really.

Chiyoko had many roles such as a ninja: http://www.zerochan.net/1137958#full

In the same way we can interpret the symbolism of the lotus to create either a good feeling or a bad feeling within the film. The lotus, as we are told by Tachibana, symbolises simple purity. It is used to portray both the mysterious man and Chiyoko. If we see the man as pure we think the journey is worth it. He is the ideal man and Chiyoko is right to chase after him. But at the same time is anyone ever that simple or pure? It thus also shows how Chiyoko was naïve to chase after something that could not have been as good as seemed to be. She only met the guy for a brief time when she was young, how could she be sure he was as good as she had made him up to be? Likewise we can see Chiyoko as the lotus in that she is pure too. She feels nothing but love for the painter and races for him no matter what the peril may be. But at the same time this also shows her blissful ignorance of the true situation. Her youth being like the lotus only further emphasises the part her reflection plays in showing her devotion (her purity) as a curse, not as a blessing.

Like the lotus the key was a big symbol, not for people but for Chiyoko’s love (but it never unlocked anything). Someone’s homemade key for Millennium Actress: http://www.deviantart.com/art/The-key-of-the-most-important-87903387

The older Chiyoko says she both loves and hates her younger self. She both hates and loves the fact she is madly in love with her mysterious painter. It keeps her young and with a goal in mind. The old Chiyoko loves her journey. But at the same time the reflection Chiyoko hates the journey. It is never-ending and will thus never satisfy her fully. Ultimately, unlike other films I have looked at for this series of posts, I myself cannot get past the harsh realities of the situation the main character is in to feel as she does with the conclusion. I found this film to be very touching, but the end with the happy Chiyoko was not enough to change my feelings of the story. I live by the idea that the ends justify the means. However, Chiyoko had no end to justify her traumatic journey. If she had found her man, then maybe so, but the mystery painter was just a shadow. Likewise, although the key opened the door to a long journey, it was never truly used. It never unlocked what it was meant to unlock. Chiyoko’s love is presented as a curse by her older, wiser self and I think this is what really hits me.

Some nice fanart of Chiyoko, still young, with her precious key: http://pabat.deviantart.com/art/Millennium-Actress-429508189

Links:

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=374

http://myanimelist.net/anime/1033/Sennen_Joyuu

http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=570

A very interesting interview with the director: http://archive.today/pzhDE

The Obvious and Ordinary Pleasures of Life - This Ugly Yet Beautiful World (Kono Minikuku mo Utsukushii Sekai)

I always try to watch a variety of anime. Over the past few days I watched a series that actually looked to have a lot of genres mixed into one. This series, named This Beautiful and Ugly World, had a little bit of everything: romance, comedy, action, science-fiction, etc. It told the story of two girls Hikari (light) and Akari (brightness) found in a forest by two friends, Takeru and Ryou. The two girls (really two parts of one alien entity that only took human form as it flew past the two boys) must ultimately decide whether to partake in or stop another mass extinction on Earth. The girls thus decide the fate of the human race. The story turned out to be quite unique and interesting, although some of the explanations for some of science-fiction elements, such as the Awakened Entities and Extended Definitions, were a little difficult to follow. However what the story did well was convey a very simple and easy to understand message about happiness and life on Earth. 

Takeru’s form as an Extended Definition. Fortunately he was able to control his feelings of anger and aggression. http://vee-freak.deviantart.com/art/WIP-E-D-Takeru-243985445

The title of this anime alone tells the message of the series. This Ugly Yet Beautiful World implies the world appears to be bad, or ugly, but is in truth good to live in, and thus beautiful. The series starts off to describe the ugliness of the world and how it is stagnant and unimportant. Some things that make the world ugly are how Earth and the human race seems insignificant in terms of the whole universe, how everything must die, loneliness, and how mundane and unchanging life is. However, Hikari and Akari, the two girls that are in fact alien beings or rather two parts of one alien entity, are totally ignorant of life in Earth and yet seem to find happiness in it. As the series goes on this happiness is passed onto other characters. Kimi (Ryou’s little sister) starts off as rather stressed and a little aggressive at times (to Akari) but she finds happiness due to Akari, who also makes Ryou happier. Most notably though is how Hikari changes the depressed Takeru into someone who values life. Even Mari, who ends as one of the angriest characters, is taught some things by the alien girls. The unimportant group of friends also seems to find a new lease on life, although this isn't hugely attested to in any specific way. However, we discover that the two girls, Hikari in particular, were sent by some higher force of the universe to destroy humanity in another mass extinction event. In the end it becomes the task of Takeru and Akari to convince Hikari, who has gone through a physical and mental change or “awakening”, not to let this mass extinction happen and to stop it. This idea of having a mass extinction should be equated with the opinion many teenagers have in real-life (and stated in the series) that the world should be destroyed. So the question comes about why should the world not be destroyed and what can make us happy in order to stop us thinking this way?

Unfortunately the message of happiness is not always the focus of the anime.http://img1.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire2/9007ec7a34dbb28ca26440416475633d1341913779_full.jpg

The first and most prominent obstacle to the happiness and beauty of this world is loneliness. Hikari says how she is lonely first but finds company with Takeru and his friends. Likewise Akari was lonely but found a family with Ryou and Kimi. So too Takeru is revealed to be lonely in his life, because he has been abandoned by his mother. This has caused him to be defensive and always on his guard when making new personal relationships because he feels like he will get hurt again and is not worthy or even capable of loving others. So too Ryou has been abandoned by his parents but he doesn’t necessarily show his loneliness as much as Takeru. Mari is also lonely but just because she cannot tell Takeru how she truly feels about him. In other words the 5 main characters all feel a different sort of loneliness. The only thing that counters loneliness is human relationships. In other words to find happiness we only need have a relationships with other people. But it is not that simple as Takeru specifically still feels lonely although he has a group of friends and a family (with is Aunt and Uncle) that support him. However as I said he is guarded in his relationships due to his self-confidence from how his widowed mother abandoned him as a young child.

The two alien girls. http://roadtoangelo.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/tuybw_hikari_and_akari2.jpg

As we have seen loneliness is bad, but meaningless relationships are not seen as truly making someone happy. To be happy in his relationships Takeru is told that he just needs to be open and allow others in. With some sort of telepathic communication in episode eleven, Ryou tells Takeru that he needs to have belief in what he feels to be true rather than just making her happy for the sake of avoiding conflict. When he does this he eventually finds true happiness in his relationship with Hikari. He does not feel awkward like he did in previous episodes, such as during the team race (episode six), and can easily envision his future with her. It was just like when he was nervous to kiss Hikari, in episode 7, but when he did he felt really good for it. In contrast Mari never finds true happiness because she is never honest and open and never believes in the feelings she has for Takeru. However, she was happy when she did accept these feelings (when looking for scrap parts for Takeru’s bike in episode nine). Throughout the series Mari’s friends, as well as the more mature Jennifer, advise her to open up with her feelings and let them be known, but because Mari does not do this it blocks her path to happiness. Even when she realises she must go to war with Hikari (in episode 8) she still does not express her feelings to Takeru. She is left feeling angry, bitter and jealous towards her rival as Takeru chooses Hikari over her. We can also look at Hikari as well. Having wandered what she described as the lonely dark universe, the alien girl first came to Earth open and trusting and was happy. But then became sadder throughout the series as she became more closed off and secluded (as she realized her true, higher role in the universe). She gets sadder and more secluded as she has an inner conflict with her desire to be happy in Earth and to fulfill her purpose as a death god that destroys world. She did eventually find happiness, just like Takeru, but only after she openly confronts Takeru and learns to feel belief in her feelings and accept them. Thus in order to be happy in this world we should to look to have relationships, not where we are guarded, but open and honest and believe in the feelings we have about the other person.

The two main relationships we learn from in the series. http://www.zerochan.net/861257#full

However, what I have described is just the romantic relationships within the series. It is not just romantic relationships that bring happiness but also familial relationships too. This is mainly played out with Akari, the younger alien girl, and how she fits into Ryou’s family. Like Takeru, Kimi finds happiness when she finally lets Akari into her family after initially distancing her. At the beginning of episode four, when Ryou brings Akari to his house from the forest, Kimi is very opposed to the idea that she should stay with her and her brother. She treats her as nothing more than a guest really. She then tries to get her to stay with Hikari at Takeru’s uncle’s house. However, as the episode goes on Kimi accepts Akari into the family and finds happiness with her. Although she still does get frustrated with Akari, it is only when Kimi is acting as a sort of mother figure, such as when Akari catches the fish in the stream in episode six. Later on in this episode there is a very nice family moment with Ryou, Kimi and Akari. Akari was like her alien sister Hikari, showing the ideal innocent open example. All she wanted was to find some solution to her feelings of loneliness caused by the darkness and absence of anything else in space. However, unlike Hikari, Akari never closed up, probably because Akari did not have to argue for another mass extinction but against it. Ryou paralleled Mari, hiding the truth. Although Ryou seemed to be happy, just as Mari did at times, you could sort of feel that he never truly was, but this was not explicitly stated as it was for Mari. Ryou hid that Kimi and himself were not in fact orphans but abandoned and this is eventually revealed in the last episode. Although initially she cries, his sister and Ryou find even more happiness when he opens up and reveals the truth and they go off to search for their parents.

The relationship between Ryou and Akari initially looked to be one of romance but turned out to just be a familial one. http://www.deviantart.com/art/Ugly-Yet-Beautiful-130151039

One of the things that is in opposition to being open is the idea of protecting the one you love. Throughout the series, from the first episode in fact, we are told by Takeru how he will do everything in his power to protect Hikari from anything he needs to. Although this just seems to be from the monstrous Extended Definitions which attack her, it also applies to other things. One of the reasons Takeru feels so awkward around Hikari is because he wants to protect her from sadness and only wants to engage in stimulating conversation that won’t make her feel sad. He doesn’t want to talk about space as it would potentially make her feel sad about her past. He also protects himself and her from potential heartbreak by now letting her get too close to himself. Thus it is only when Takeru drops the idea of having to protect Hikari he finds more happiness. So too Ryou lies to his sister Kimi about their parents because he wants to protect her from the knowledge that they were abandoned and tarnish her images of their parents. As I have said Kimi is actually happier looking for her parents rather than under Ryou’s umbrella of protection. So protecting the one you love is not necessarily a good thing, in fact the series shows it as something that blocks feelings of happiness as it obscures openness in the relationship, which is necessary for joy. Ryou in fact describes this to Takeru in episode eight with an ice-cream analogy: the more that we try to keep the ice-pop on the stick, the more likely it is that we will push it off onto the ground; so too the more we try to protect those we love, the more we end up pushing them away from us and into pain.

Takeru confronts Hikari in his form but is able to hold his aggression off.http://store.picbg.net/pubpic/C3/94/03c9109abb5ac394.PNG

Therefore both romantic and familial relationships are important for happiness the series shows but only if we are open and honest in these relationships. This is pointed out with the vision of Takeru’s ideal future is shown in a vision (in episode 12) and it is just him with Hikari and their imaginary son. It is not just Hikari that is emphasised but family as well, through the father son relationship. Likewise during the final closing song pictures are shown, not of just Hikari and Takeru, but also of Akari, Kimi and Ryou. I should also note that relationships with friends are also mentioned but not as in great detail, but with some emphasis. This is done with how much of an impact Hikari has on Mayu, the class representative he meets at school in episode five. Mayu admits to Hikari that she sometimes hates school because everyone teases her and she is short and full of self-doubt, such as during tennis. However, Mayu shows that her friendship with Hikari made her happy when she gives pictures and a letter to Takeru for Hikari, after the apocalypse event in episode 12. It seems that because Mayu found someone to be open with, even just as a friend, she too found happiness. At the start of the series, as well as giving special attention to Takeru, Hikari also shows happiness due her friends and how they accepted her. In summary, one idea that is emphasised with This Ugly Yet Beautiful World is how a sincere, truthful relationship brings happiness, whether it be that of lovers, family or friends.

Takeru hugs Hikari after changing back from his angrier form, due to his human heart.http://v004o.popscreen.com/eGRucjRwMTI=_o_this-ugly-and-beautiful-world-cap10-22.jpg

The other more simple way to find enjoyment is through experiencing the wondrous nature on Earth. We can experience many unique things through our various senses that we seemingly take for granted. This is shown by how the jaded human teenagers are surprised at the happiness Hikari and Akari experience in the simple things of life. The naïve and new alien girls are amazed things like the taste of watermelon (episode three), the sounds of crickets (episode three), the feel of the running stream (episode six), the smell of the sea (episode seven) and sights of the bright colours of the city (episode five). Basically they can be easily pleased by the sensations the nature of the world gives them. This opens the eyes of the friends who also learn to find pleasure in these things. They learn to have fun by just playing in a stream. Notably there is nothing about happiness from wealth, luxury or material goods in finding this sensual happiness; it is usually from nature and natural things. The family is running their own delivery service, not the most lucrative business, and even renting out rooms for extra money. The characters are thus not the richest of people, but they still find happiness. Never is the idea that money or the things money buys brings happiness. On the other hand the simple sensory pleasures we get from the Earth are often mentioned. In fact they are attempted to use as a way to try and dissuade Hikari from destroying the world. So This Ugly Yet Beautiful World presents the idea that finding pleasure from the nature of the Earth is a second way in which to find happiness.

Akari often shows us how to enjoy many parts of nature: http://static.zerochan.net/Akari.%28Kono.Minikuku.mo.Utsukushii.Sekai%29.full.1109970.jpg

These were the two main ideas of how to bring happiness, through human relationships and enjoying the sensory pleasures of Earth. They are said to be so obvious and ordinary but at the same time they are just wonderful. However This Ugly yet Beautiful World also shows some other ways to find happiness, even if they aren’t given the same importance as human relationships and finding joy in the natural world around us. One of these other ways is having a productive life. This is mainly shown through Takeru. At the start of the show he has no purpose and feels like he is useless. However, once he buys his bike in episode nine he finds a purpose in repairing it up on his own back, rather than just paying for it to be fixed. He finds happiness in the simple pleasure of just being productive and doing something worthwhile with his time, compared to how he moped about the house and school with no real effort before this (in the first episode). Likewise Hikari is very happy when helping out in the beachside restaurant, even if she doesn’t do the best job she just wants to help. Finding a purpose, not matter if you a good at it or not, can bring happiness. Although Hikari found saw school as a place where friends hang out, she realises it is not as fun as she thought because they do nothing productive. I won if they did interesting productive things would they still be happy.

This is what Takeru was making his bike for, so he could make Hikari even happier. Unfortunately this was actually bad it did not openly address his or her problems.http://www.freewallpapersbase.com/anime/wallpapers1/anime-wallpaper20096302048495377804.jpg

On somewhat a related idea, one of the reasons Earth is seen as ugly is because we (humans) have no true purpose or worth in terms of the whole universe so life doesn’t matter. I would not argue that finding a purpose in life means it is purposeful to the universe, but the series in fact resolves this issue. Although this belief that Earth is meaningless is held through most of the series it is countered at the end of the series by how the human “heart” overcomes this logical thinking. If we act to enhance our feelings, especially love and happiness, this is a worthwhile purpose in the universe. Anything that brings love and happiness is worthwhile as it is more than just the aggressive instincts other species had. Throughout the series Hikari is attacked by big monsters, said to be awakened beasts of past species that had previously been through a mass extinction event. In order words they had been wiped out by her, but recognize Hikari as the alien that brought about their species’ demise. Takeru gets these awakened powers and initially uses them to protect Hikari. However at the end of the series Takeru, like those past species looks to attack Hikari for being the destroyer of worlds, but his heart, his love, stops him. This is seen as something beyond which she has ever encountered before and it makes humans worthwhile of survival from the mass extinction that destroyed several other species. Takeru is of course contrasted to the other Extended Definitions as although he is a manifestation of anger and aggression, his love and the happiness this love brings him allows him to control this. In the first episode we learn that there have been over 5 billon species on Earth and over 99.9% of these have been destroyed by mass extinction events, but through love the series shows that humans are something more than the other beasts that had been destroyed and this is the reason we humans survive our event. Basically because we have a heart and we can love we are seen as worthwhile in the universe. Thus human relationships not only the way to make us happy but also makes us worthwhile cosmically speaking. I suppose it could also be suggested that they choose to save Earth due to its beauty and how it can give you sensory pleasure. Thus the worthiness of humans and Earth are also the things that we should use to make us happy.

Hikari eventually does stop the mass extinction event, due to the human heart. http://www.zerochan.net/787977#full

At this point I would like to emphasise how important perspective is to our grasp of happiness. As I said before we can find happiness in even the simplest things, our sensory pleasures, if we just look for them. However at the same time we should not expect everything to pure bliss in our lives. Hikari seemingly enjoys everything in life, until her internal conflict, but this is not entirely true. There was one point where Hikari was not exactly delighted with our world. This was when she went to school in episode five. The reason she wanted to go was because she thought it would be perfect, spending a whole day with her friends. However, at lunch she was asked by one of Takeru’s friends to evaluate whether this was the case or not. She said it was fun but some parts, such as the literature lesson we saw previously, did not seem to her as delightful as she expected. The group of friends compare her day at school to a chocolate she is eating. They may expect it to be sweet, which it is, but it is bitter as well. We might want it to be all sweet, and not bitter at all, but it is still sweet nonetheless. It other words, we might want our lives (chocolate) to be full of happiness (sweetness) and void of sadness (bitterness), but if we try to view it this way we forget that there is any happiness at all and just focus on the presence of sadness. The school day continues, they play tennis, but then the school is destroyed when Hikari half awakens and frees Ioneos, Hikari’s robot assistant in mass extinction, who has been trapped inside a pillar of the school. After school is destroyed it is not abandoned, most if not all students remain or come back to help clean up remnants of the school. Hikari sees as it because they realise that school actually was a place of joy for them, not just boredom or sorrow. Hikari concludes that we can’t expect something, such as school or the chocolate, to be only good but afterwards we realise that it was in fact mostly good, even if we don’t view it as so at the time. So too in episode 10 Ryou tells Akari that she can’t have all the seasons at once; that it can’t snow on the same day as the sakura blossom, but we should be thankful that we can see each individually. In other words, this series also presents that, whilst we should look for happiness and not pain or sadness, we should not expect an experience to be just joy. Everything has some downside to it, but we should try to find the happiness in it, for if we focus on expectations of pure bliss, then we will only find the downsides. Thus perspective is needed, we must look for happiness, but not always expect it.

The two parts of the alien girls in a yin-yang pose. http://angelxofxthexsoul.deviantart.com/art/Sleep-pencil-119135822

Connected to this idea of unfulfilled expectations and perspective on things is one topic that is not fully put to bed: death. In episode eight Hikari experiences the pain of death for the first time when she sees a dead cricket. Although a relatively small lose Hikari is hurt, mourning for that which she had cared for as it made wonderful sounds for her. It seems the only answer for this is that everyone eventually dies, we cannot escape so we should not dwell on it. Takeru’s friends say this about Hikari’s crickets, how there are huge numbers of crickets and they will all die after a certain period. But what about the human species, something we obviously care a bit more about. This is addressed in the same episode where the group celebrate a festival for the dead. Nothing is done whatsoever to suggest we can conquer death and achieve immortality. In fact mortality is not so much celebrated or embraced but accepted with the festival (the Japanese Bon festival) that they go to. It seems, at least in its depiction in the anime anyways, to have two purposes connected with not being sad about death. One is that, as I said before, death is accepted as a fact of life. Rather than just ignoring those that have died, like many westerners do (myself included), it gives them a few days remembrance. Death is not desire but it is not shunned or feared it seems. Second is that the put the idea of grief outside their mind when they do this festival. The festival did not appear to be one of sorrowful silence but one of joyful experiences. There are games and food stalls; it basically becomes a sort of carnival. As the friends say, they just try to ignore the idea of death as something bad and just enjoy what they have. In other words, just like many early philosophers, this series does not try to present a way of conquering death through some everlasting life, but it counters the sorrow of death through its acceptance of it and the joy of life. It shows its real relevance to the series as life is all about perspective. So too in episode eleven Ryou tells Takeru he cannot change his past relationship problems, but he can make up for them in the future. We shouldn’t think every will be always happy but at the same time we shouldn’t focus on the bad by only looking for happiness where we can.

Takeru’s transformation into a Extended Definition. http://forum.touki.ru/photos/080706232259742_f14_9.png

This anime series ends with a picture of a butterfly, one side intricately beautiful, the other withered and ugly. We are reminded happiness is all about perspective and is only affected by us and our views on the world. We can choose it to be ugly, if we just focus on death and how life seems unimportant and unchanging, or we can go out there and make friends and have healthy relationships with those around us, marvel at the simple wonders of the world and try to live as productive and virtuous life as possible. The theme songs only emphasise all these ideas about perspective and the two main pleasures we can find in the world. The opening song talks of a dirty world changing to a clean one like a butterfly (through our perspective), and the closing song talks of love and seasons (the wonderful things the world provides for us). Thus This Ugly Yet Beautiful World attempts to tell us about how the world may seem worthless but in fact we just need to find pleasure in the simple things. As Hikari says in the last episode, ordinary things are wonderful.

Hikari’s dream during her inner conflict: http://www.zerochan.net/186529#full

Links:

http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=1431

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=2836

http://myanimelist.net/anime/146/Kono_Minikuku_mo_Utsukushii_Sekai