It’s more likely than you thought. A warning before I get into the actual post: this will contain spoilers for Persona 3 and Gurren Lagann, particularly their endings, so be warned. It's more likely than you thought. A warning before I get into the actual post: this will contain spoilers for Persona 3 and Gurren Lagann, particularly their endings, so be warned.
Because we all want a harem composing of our osananajimis, school idol, imouto and other female classmates Because we all want a harem composing of our osananajimis, school idol, imouto and other female classmates
I already finished Persona 3 some weeks ago, but it took me quite a while to break out of the momentary depression that it sent me into. Not really a case of depression per se, but rather, feelings of grief and melancholy. It’s been a while since I’ve been that attached to the characters of a game, and seeing the ending of Persona 3 just tore up something in me. And just when I’ve gone and picked myself up, Gurren Lagan’s final episode aired, and it bitchslapped me in the face so hard that it took me a few days to recover.
I already finished Persona 3 some weeks ago, but it took me quite a while to break out of the momentary depression that it sent me into. Not really a case of depression per se, but rather, feelings of grief and melancholy. It's been a while since I've been that attached to the characters of a game, and seeing the ending of Persona 3 just tore up something in me. And just when I've gone and picked myself up, Gurren Lagan's final episode aired , And it bitchslapped me in the face so hard that it took me a few days to recover.
You shall forever be remembered ;_; You shall forever be remembered; _;
Persona 3 was just unfair with its ending. Here I was spending most of the game getting to know the people I could talk to, slowly learning to appreciate their lives, their stories, and how the main character (I called the hero Kuraki Setsuna, good luck spotting the references in that name: from this point on I’ll keep calling him Setsuna until I remember what his official name is) helped them out in their problems and gave them the hope to move on from whatever it was that held them back. And when I developed an affinity for Setsuna and his SEES friends, after seeing what they went through, how their bonds strengthened, and how they decided to face the inevitable together, they had to pull out the ending where Setsuna sacrifices his life for everyone.
Persona 3 was just unfair with its ending. Here I was spending most of the game getting to know the people I could talk to, slowly learning to appreciate their lives, their stories, and how the main character (I called the hero Kuraki Setsuna, good luck spotting the references in that name: from this point on I'll keep calling him Setsuna until I remember what his official name is) helped them out in their problems and gave them the hope to move on from whatever it was that held them back. And when I developed an affinity for Setsuna and his SEES friends, after seeing what they went through, how their bonds strengthened, and how they decided to face the inevitable together, they had to pull out the ending where Setsuna sacrifices his life for everyone.
Yeah, you read that right. The hero dies at the end of the game - this was because he used his soul in order to create a barrier that would not so much as keep Nyx away from the world, but rather, keep the evil, destructive thoughts of humans away from Nyx. This was the reason, as Nyx stated itself, why the Fall was inevitable: the dark, destructive thoughts of humans was so strong that it reached out to Nyx, pulling it closer to the world and accelerating what was inevitably to come years later.
The reason he was still around for at least 2 months was because his will to see his friends for one final time and keep their promise of meeting on their Graduation Day was so strong, it gave him enough reason to last until that moment. Granted, his soul is the seal on the barrier, and his body is in a somewhat catatonic state, but he might as well be dead since his soul’s going to be there forever, unless humans are able to remove their whole negative wish for destruction, or reduce it substantially (which is nigh impossible, judging by today’s society, and the society which P3 has). Yeah, you read that right. The hero dies at the end of the game - this was because he used his soul in order to create a barrier that would not so much as keep Nyx away from the world, but rather, keep the evil, destructive thoughts of humans away from Nyx.
This was the reason, as Nyx stated itself, why the Fall was inevitable: the dark, destructive thoughts of humans was so strong that it reached out to Nyx, pulling it closer to the world and accelerating what was inevitably to come years later. The reason he was still around for at least 2 months was because his will to see his friends for one final time and keep their promise of meeting on their Graduation Day was so strong, it gave him enough reason to last until that moment. Granted, his soul is the seal on the barrier, and his body is in a somewhat catatonic state, but he might as well be dead since his soul's going to be there forever, unless humans are able to remove their whole negative wish for destruction, or reduce it substantially (which is nigh impossible, judging by today's society, and the society which P3 has).
At this point, I was like Nozomu, without the whole crying part - Something died inside of me, though At this point, I was like Nozomu, without the whole crying part - Something died inside of me, though
If you were paying attention while playing Persona 3, you’d have to have noticed that the signs were all there, pointing towards the eventual death of the hero. Aside from the glaring warning of Pharos with the hero having only “one year to do everything”, there was the whole “memento mori” theme, the whole “Thanatos and a butterfly” imagery, the need to portray suicide (shooting oneself in the head) with an Evoker in order to summon a power (Personas) that are meant to protect others, why those who use their Personas for self-gain are meant to die eventually, and others more.
I applaud the game on this regard: everything was there, and they were all pointing towards Setsuna eventually dying a hero’s death, but it seemed like something that came out of left-field the moment it happened. I myself was in denial the moment Setsuna closed his eyes while Akihiko and the rest were coming up to him and Aigis, and I just kept telling myself that he was just exhausted after the fight with Nyx, despite a sense of foreboding sending chills down my neck. If you were paying attention while playing Persona 3, you'd have to have noticed that the signs were all there, pointing towards the eventual death of the hero. Aside from the glaring warning of Pharos with the hero having only "one year to do everything ", there was the whole" memento mori "theme, the whole" Thanatos and a butterfly "imagery, the need to portray suicide (shooting oneself in the head) with an Evoker in order to summon a power (Personas) that are meant to protect others, why those who use their Personas for self-gain are meant to die eventually, and others more.
I applaud the game on this regard: everything was there, and they were all pointing towards Setsuna eventually dying a hero's death , But it seemed like something that came out of left-field the moment it happened. I myself was in denial the moment Setsuna closed his eyes while Akihiko and the rest were coming up to him and Aigis, and I just kept telling myself that he was just exhausted after the fight with Nyx, despite a sense of foreboding sending chills down my neck.
While FES confirms Setsuna’s death, one doesn’t really need to be exposed to it in order to realize that he dies at the end, unless you’re either really dense, or in fervent denial. At first I was part of the latter, refusing to accept Setsuna’s death in part because it was something he didn’t deserve, and also because of how it’d hurt his friends. Setsuna didn’t deserve his death, in my opinion, because the guy’s had such a rough life: his parents died ten years ago (he was just probably 5 to 7 at the time), he became the unfortunate host of Death who would soon bring about Nyx and the Fall, and he was guiled into bringing about the Fall by his own hands. As for his friends, his death would tear them up even if he died for their sake: Shinjiro’s death, even though he protected Ken, was already too much for the whole group to bear, and losing another one of their comrades just when they’ve recovered would be too traumatizing, judging from their emotional states.
They adamantly refused to accept Setsuna’s death the moment that Nyx was sealed away, and that was already an omen in itself. While FES confirms Setsuna's death, one doesn't really need to be exposed to it in order to realize that he dies at the end, unless you're either really dense, or in fervent denial. At first I was part of the latter, refusing to accept Setsuna's death in part because it was something he didn't deserve, and also because of how it'd hurt his friends.
Setsuna didn't deserve his death, in my opinion, because the guy's had such a rough life: his parents died ten years ago (he was just probably 5 to 7 at the time), he became the unfortunate host of Death who would soon bring about Nyx and the Fall, and he was guiled into bringing about the Fall by his own hands. As for his friends, his death would tear them up even if he died for their sake: Shinjiro's death, even though he protected Ken, was already too much for the whole group to bear, and losing another one of their comrades just when they've recovered would be too traumatizing, judging from their emotional states. They adamantly refused to accept Setsuna's death the moment that Nyx was sealed away, and that was already an omen in itself.
One of these days, I’ll be eating ramen, and I’ll play “Want to be Close” just for kicks One of
Despite what my initial reaction might lead you to think, I actually liked the ending. Yes, it’s bittersweet in nature, and it’s depressing because I’ve spent so much time investing in the characters in my relationships with them, and liking them so much, that I felt just as choked up as they probably were over the hero’s death.
Imagine everyone of your friends remembering, in a brief moment, all of the times you’ve shared, all the tears you’ve shed and the laughs you’ve had for the past months, and the promise that you all swore to keep; with exultant glee, you all leave the graduation ceremony rites together and head to the rooftop where he is, eager to be reunited with each other, only to find him having passed away while waiting for all of you, in the arms of another of your comrades. Damn, did I choke up. Despite what my initial reaction might lead you to think, I actually liked the ending.
Yes, it's bittersweet in nature, and it's depressing because I've spent so much time investing in the characters in my relationships with them, and liking them so much, that I felt just as choked up as they probably were over the hero's death. Imagine everyone of your friends remembering, in a brief moment, all of the times you've shared, all the tears you've shed and the laughs you've had for the past months, and the promise that you all swore to keep; with exultant glee, you all leave the graduation ceremony rites together and head to the rooftop where he is, eager to be reunited with each other, only to find him having passed away while waiting for all of you, in the arms of another of your comrades. Damn, did I choke up.
True, the hero dies, and everyone’s going to be affected by it, but it’s not like he died in vain, and this is what I liked about the ending, along with the whole story in general. The story is indeed reflective of today’s society, and while it appears harsh and cruel on the surface, there is a glimmer of hope present despite all that: that the hero died so that he could let the people he came into contact with, continue to live, and make this world a happier place just as how he helped them overcome their own problems and make their lives better by their own choosing.
It’s not as happy and cheerful as how other stories pull off their endings, and I’d say that P3’s ending is about as bittersweet as Fate/Stay Night’s Fate route ending, with Saber abandoning her idea of finding the holy grail and going back to her own time only to die. It may be sad, but once you accept it and realize just exactly why the ending was this way, you can then move on, realizing the level of maturity and courage that it must have took these characters to make these decisions. True, the hero dies, and everyone's going to be affected by it, but it's not like he died in vain, and this is what I liked about the ending, along with the whole story in general.
The story is indeed reflective of today's society, and while it appears harsh and cruel on the surface, there is a glimmer of hope present despite all that: that the hero died so that he could let the people he came into contact with, continue to live, and make this world a happier place just as how he helped them overcome their own problems and make their lives better by their own choosing. It's not as happy and cheerful as how other stories pull off their endings, and I'd say that P3's ending is about as bittersweet as Fate / Stay Night's Fate route ending, with Saber abandoning her idea of finding the holy grail and going back to her own time only to die. It may be sad, but once you accept it and realize just exactly why the ending was this way, you can then move on, realizing the level of maturity and courage that it must have took these characters to make these decisions.
Hmm….would I be able to choose between these girls? Highly unlike, I think… Hmm .... Would
Most people don’t like these bittersweet, realistic endings because fantasy stories, whether it be in anime or games, are supposed to be escapist: they’re supposed to provide you an escape from reality and let you indulge in whatever fantasies you prefer, be it having a harem, saving the world, or whatever strikes your fancy. Stories that provide endings like these strike a nerve with people who indulge in their escapist tendencies because they don’t want something that’s utterly close to the real world, something that they’re trying to abandon in the first place. Most people don't like these bittersweet, realistic endings because fantasy stories, whether it be in anime or games, are supposed to be escapist: they're supposed to provide you an escape from reality and let you indulge in whatever fantasies you prefer, be it having a harem, saving the world, or whatever strikes your fancy.
Stories that provide endings like these strike a nerve with people who indulge in their escapist tendencies because they don't want something that's utterly close to the real world, something that they're trying to abandon in the first place.
Not that I’m trying to pick a fight with these people, but I find that view childish. True, fantasy stories in games and anime are escapist, and I’m not denying that since that’s exactly what brought me into anime and eroges in the first place, but I prefer bittersweet yet hopeful endings over sugar-and-spice perfect endings any day.
The latter barely provides any denouement, any form of catharsis for me, while the former gives me tons of it. Bittersweet endings give me the chance to ask myself “why do I find this particular ending tragic?, “how did the character manage to arrive at this decision?”, “what did it take for this character to make this choice?”, and, what I believe to be the most important question for me, “given the situation, could I do the same thing if it was asked of me?”. Not that I'm trying to pick a fight with these people, but I find that view childish. True, fantasy stories in games and anime are escapist, and I'm not denying that since that's exactly what brought me into anime and eroges in the first place, but I prefer bittersweet yet hopeful endings over sugar-and-spice perfect endings any day.
The latter barely provides any denouement, any form of catharsis for me, while the former gives me tons of it. Bittersweet endings give me the chance to ask myself "why do I find this particular ending tragic?," how did the character manage to arrive at this decision? "," what did it take for this character to make this choice? ", and, what I believe to be the most important question for me, "given the situation, could I do the same thing if it was asked of me?".
Would you give up your life trying to protect whatever mattered the most to you? Would you
With the last question, I’m not trying to put myself in the character’s shoes, but rather, I’m trying to question my level of maturity with theirs. If something was expected of me, and it required making a great deal of sacrifice, could I do it? Do I have the maturity to realize that despite whatever I do, I would still just be “someone else” in the eyes of the whole world? The way these endings make me think are much more rewarding than any happy ending I’ve ever encountered, and they leave much more of an impact on me.
Another example would be Gurren Lagann’s ending. With the last question, I'm not trying to put myself in the character's shoes, but rather, I'm trying to question my level of maturity with theirs. If something was expected of me, and it required making a great deal of sacrifice, could I do it? Do I have the maturity to realize that despite whatever I do, I would still just be "someone else" in the eyes of the whole world? The way these endings make me think are much more rewarding than any happy ending I've ever encountered, and they leave much more of an impact on me. Another example would be Gurren Lagann's ending.
ROW ROW FIGHT DA POWAH…or the people, or something ROW ROW FIGHT DA POWAH
Gurren Lagann’s ending was somewhat ironic yet fulfilling. You’ve got Simon, the man who makes the impossible look like a walk in the park. He defeated Lord Genome, punched a hole in the time-space continuum, formed a mech the size of a Moon which shot beams that surpassed time and space, AND formed another mech the size of a freaking galaxy with the help of his friends, and defeated the entity that’s been suppressing the universe’s spiral race inhabitants. He freed the Earth along with various Spiral homeworlds, but lost Nia, the woman that he loved, as she faded away in his arms during their marriage ceremony.
Talk about a big slap in the face. Whatever happened to the whole “throw logic away and kick reason to the curb?” theme of the show if Simon was just going to fade into obscurity while everyone else assumes various important positions? Gurren Lagann's ending was somewhat ironic yet fulfilling. You've got Simon, the man who makes the impossible look like a walk in the park. He defeated Lord Genome, punched a hole in the time-space continuum, formed a mech the size of a Moon which shot beams that surpassed time and space, AND formed another mech the size of a freaking galaxy with the help of his friends, and defeated the entity that's been suppressing the universe's spiral race inhabitants.
He freed the Earth along with various Spiral homeworlds, but lost Nia, the woman that he loved, as she faded away in his arms during their marriage ceremony. Talk about a big slap in the face. Whatever happened to the whole "throw logic away and kick reason to the curb? "theme of the show if Simon was just going to fade into obscurity while everyone else assumes various important positions?
It’s still there. Throwing logic away and kicking reason to the curb was how the Dai Gurren Dan did things, but they never lost sight of what they were and what they wanted to do, particularly Simon. Simon got that far doing what he had to do, as Nia had already said, and Simon fought the Anti Spiral and won, knowing that doing so would cause Nia to eventually disappear. Think back to the fight between the Anti Spiral, right when Nia agreed with Lord Genome’s sentiments about wishing to create a future for the Spirals with the temporary bodies that they have.
Simon’s anguished look already says it all, yet he continued and fought with all his might knowing full well the consequences. It's still there. Throwing logic away and kicking reason to the curb was how the Dai Gurren Dan did things, but they never lost sight of what they were and what they wanted to do, particularly Simon. Simon got that far doing what he had to do, as Nia had already said, and Simon fought the Anti Spiral and won, knowing that doing so would cause Nia to eventually disappear. Think back to the fight between the Anti Spiral, right when Nia agreed with Lord Genome's sentiments about wishing to create a future for the Spirals with the temporary bodies that they have. Simon's anguished look already says it all, yet he continued and fought with all his might knowing full well the consequences.
I know full well I wouldn't be able to bring myself against someone like her, because I'll be too busy ogling her
This is why Gurren Lagann has been a welcome ride. They way they kicked reason to the curb regarding how they fought their enemies were all fucking incredible, though I found the whole “bigger is better” concept a bit ridiculous and over-the-top, but not despicable. But the Dai Gurren Dan also knew how real the sacrifices were made, and how the dead gave their lives for the living to continue on and pass on their wishes to those who would follow their footsteps.
Kamina, Kittan and everyone’s deaths weren’t meaningless, as each one of these served to make Simon and the rest move forward in history and make a better future for everyone who put their hopes on the Dai Gurren Dan. This is why Gurren Lagann has been a welcome ride. They way they kicked reason to the curb regarding how they fought their enemies were all fucking incredible, though I found the whole "bigger is better" concept a bit ridiculous and over-the-top , But not despicable.
But the Dai Gurren Dan also knew how real the sacrifices were made, and how the dead gave their lives for the living to continue on and pass on their wishes to those who would follow their footsteps. Kamina, Kittan and everyone 'S deaths weren't meaningless, as each one of these served to make Simon and the rest move forward in history and make a better future for everyone who put their hopes on the Dai Gurren Dan.
Now that he’s created the path for the future, Simon walks out of the stage as he knows that there’s nothing left for him to do. The whole reason why a lot of people felt disappointed was because they felt that Simon should be anything else but a nobody, given how many sacrifices he’s made, how many times he’s done the impossible, and how he ended up, but I beg to differ.
Simon was and is nothing else but a driller: think back to his speech on Episode 11, and how he proclaims the he is himself, and that “himself” is Simon the Driller, the one whose drill is the drill that will pierce the heavens. Now that he’s pierced the heavens, it’s time for the next generation to move forward, through the path that he’s dug, towards a better future. It doesn’t matter what e expected and wanted Simon to be, because in the end, Simon stayed true to himself. Nia may be going away, but before that could happen, Simon made sure that Nia would be the happiest bride in the universe, and she was. Now that he's created the path for the future, Simon walks out of the stage as he knows that there's nothing left for him to do.
The whole reason why a lot of people felt disappointed was because they felt that Simon should be anything else but a nobody, given how many sacrifices he's made, how many times he's done the impossible, and how he ended up, but I beg to differ. Simon was and is nothing else but a driller: think back to his speech on Episode 11, and how he proclaims the he is himself, and that "himself" is Simon the Driller, the one whose drill is the drill that will pierce the heavens. Now that he's pierced the heavens, it's time for the next generation to move forward, through the path that he's dug, towards a better future. It doesn't matter what e expected and wanted Simon to be, because in the end, Simon stayed true to himself. Nia may be going away, but before that could happen, Simon made sure that Nia would be the happiest bride in the universe, and she was.
To apologize for the lack of GL pics, have a Sayane in wedding clothes in return To apologize
It’s true that the Japanese are obsessed with endings like these, and that there are a lot of endings that are bittersweet and tragic because they’re realistic. Don’t get me wrong and think that all endings that are bittersweet and tragic are, by association, perfect for me because it doesn’t work like that. I tend to gravitate towards the more realistic endings, but I still prioritize content and cathartic impact.
At the very least (and I know this’ll sound cheesy, but whatever), endings like these help me appreciate life for what it is, and helps me to deal with it more. It's true that the Japanese are obsessed with endings like these, and that there are a lot of endings that are bittersweet and tragic because they're realistic. Don't get me wrong and think that all endings that are bittersweet and tragic are , By association, perfect for me because it doesn't work like that. I tend to gravitate towards the more realistic endings, but I still prioritize content and cathartic impact. At the very least (and I know this'll sound cheesy, but whatever), endings like these help me appreciate life for what it is, and helps me to deal with it more.
On a sidenote, P3 taught me that sleeping in class, while it refreshes my status, might make me miss out on some lesson that'll be used in an upcoming exam
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