Jose Lopez

4/30/23

English 110

Research Final Draft

 

Anime’s Life Lessons

 

Many may find life lessons in books or shows. For kids it’s always in shows directed to teach them how to act or their parents will teach them. But what if there is another source? Would anime give good life lessons to everyone? It isn’t common for people to always look at anime and think good of it because of some content some anime have. But there are many in which there are great examples of ways people should act. There are anime that have good lessons on becoming stronger, there are underlines about forgiving people, and there’s the community that’s been built over the years and how connected we all are.

 

In a lot of high action fighting animes, you will always learn the idea of never giving up being displayed several times usually by the main character. One of the biggest anime that almost everyone knows is Dragon Ball. In the series we follow the life of Son Goku, a Saiyan from an alien planet who as a baby came to Earth and was raised in the ways of martial arts. It isn’t until Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super that most fans are the most interested in. In DBZ, Goku has many fights where he almost dies and there are times where he DOES die and it can be very anticipating for the viewer to see how he overcomes challenges especially with Frieza. An intergalactic emperor who destroys planets for fun who is the strongest in the universe. Goku was having his toughest battle and he was losing for a long time and he even needed help from his allies. But throughout the whole ordeal, Goku didn’t stop or give up, he tried everything and kept going until he managed to ascend and become a Super Saiyan, a form many are acquainted with now. This idea of Goku always fighting and never giving up has been interpreted in many ways by the fans, it has even inspired many to start working out and achieve their own Super Saiyan. Another excellent example is in a more modern anime by the name of Demon Slayer. The main character in this anime has gone through more hardships than Goku has. His family was killed by the strongest demon in this universe, Muzan Kibutsuji, and Tanjiro survived all because he chose to stay overnight somewhere else while he was working. His sister Nezuko was turned into a demon in this tragedy and Tanjiro chose to keep her alive as Nezuko managed to keep her conscious and protected her brother. Tanjiro made it his goal to fight and kill Muzan in order to revert his sister into a human. And while Tanjiro is simply human he fights and even tho he has fought demons much stronger than him he did not stop. He fights demons who are in the most upper 6 ranks and even defeated the Upper Rank 6 demons alongside one of the strongest Demon Slayer Hashira. His burning will show how strong people can be and how no matter what tragedy strikes you can move on and fight for your future.

 

In a similar sense, these two characters have another trait in common, they are able to forgive and show mercy to their opponents but perhaps in a different way. Tanjiro in the anime has a very sweet and caring personality to his friends but it can even extend to the demons he defeats. While a lot of demons are unforgivable, all of them were once humans who chose to turn into demons for eternal life or other reasons. But many of them have origins with hardships and depression that their choice can be seen as an act of desperation rather than one of selfishness, and Tanjiro sees this. In his battles he often talks to the demon and even tries to get their backstory and many times it is shown that the demon he fights is only a human who wants an escape from their cruel lives. With each demon he kills he wishes to god that they are reborn a better human essentially giving them some redemption and mercy as his kills are usually quick and to the point. His caring soul is a prime example of how a lot of people should act in being forgiving but not letting those who mean harm get in your way. As the saying goes, forgive and forget, there is no point in trying to linger on something now gone. Goku has the same caring personality and many of his friends and allies were once his rivals and enemies. But this mercy Tanjiro has is much more similar to Naruto. Naruto Uzamaki is from the anime Naruto, his parents were killed when he was a baby and to save the lives of the village they sealed a strong beast into Naruto as a baby. His father handed him to the village’s leader before entrusting him in taking care of Naruto. While he didn’t actually take care of Naruto for fear of safety since he had a strong tailed beast in him, Naruto was able to raise himself. The only problem is that he was seen as a problem as a freak especially when at points he would show his true power that would be uncontrollable. But Naruto managed to turn all this hate into kindness. Similar to Goku, his allies were once enemies who he was able to talk to and make them see the brighter side in life. Even the enemies he defeats he tries to reason with, while a fighter at heart he is a gentle soul who doesn’t want to fight those who are like him because he knows he could have turned out like them. This has even become a joke within the Naruto fans where they say his secret power is his ability to simply talk. But this shows a much bigger interpretation showing how communication and showing kindness and forgiveness can go a really long way.

 

The anime community is one that grows everyday and can be strong when we all come together. Anime being seen as weird and strange by many outsiders can be understandable at times due to the community seeming strange at times. This is especially visible when you notice that a lot of the community either cosplays, meaning to dress as a character, or wears a lot of clothes and merch from their favorite anime. But if you were to meet and genuinely talk to someone who likes anime, they are usually really cool and pretty chill. And while some make it their personality and start talking and acting like they are in an anime, it’s just a stereotype. Anime has given many an escape from the harsh world. Students at Don Lugo Highschool managed to convey  “Anime has fostered its own community. Joining this growing population gives people who may otherwise feel alone the chance to create bonds with friends they may have never had.” The idea of anime being able to bring people together is beautiful because oftentimes people don’t realize that those who watch anime are usually bullied for being different. The space it gives for these kids and adults alike is one of happiness and creates a family for the viewers. Anime is able to connect and unite people in ways most other communities can’t. The endless communication with endless topics leads to several ways of making new relationships.

 

Anime may be seen as many things but I believe it should be seen as more than a source of entertainment. I believe that anime can bring a change to the world many do not see because they wish to ignore the obvious. Overall, anime has many good lessons not just for kids but also for adults. As I’ve mentioned, I’ve seen many people change their lives and work out because of figures like Goku. I hope many others can see this and accept anime as something anyone and everyone can watch instead of hating on it for being different.

 

NAPIER, SUSAN. “The World of Anime Fandom in America.” Mechademia, vol. 1, 2006, pp. 47–63. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41510877