Mugen Monday - Seventh Edition

Emerging from the darkness is the news of Gojou Satoru, (or Gojo, but does it matter really?). As Jujutsu Kaisen, one of the most renowned new-age Shonen series has taken a shift from the commonality, we see a development that although is not a noble addition to the already long list of Anime Shonen tropes, is indeed quite an A-move by the maestro, Gege himself.

SPOILER ALERT FOR JUJUTSU KAISEN: This character’s death has had more impact than anyone ever imagined. With fans going literal kamikaze and threatening the author with life. (With death? or into death? whatever).

(Although one of our writers, Mayukh, did have some plausible theories on why Gojo still isn’t dead yet, and it’s quite an interesting read. I will definitely recommend you jump straight right into it.)

HAS SUCH A MOVE BEEN MADE BEFORE BY AN AUTHOR?

• It’s been seen before. It’s not the most conventional route, but strong characters (supporting) are usually killed.

• This serves as the route of ascension by which our relatively weak protagonist climbs the ladder of the power hierarchy.

Gojou Satoru on this hand, has been the apex epitome of the strongest. He’s been OP for the truest sense of it, deriving a substantial element of trouble from the heart of JJK Fans. Oh, the greatest curse threat to society? Welp we got Gojo. Our one-eye kills all man (one punch?).

The only route author Gege felt most plausible upon, for this story to have any relevance without having to make its supporting character Gojo into its main character, might have been the common ‘concealed into-thousand years-kinda’ trope'.

Which worked for him, for quite plenty of time. But the inevitable outcome of such shenanigans was that if a character is sealed, they must one day return.

DID GEGE TAKE HELP FROM HOW HISTORY HAS DONE A SIMILAR SETTING?

1. The last I remember this was perhaps when Netero fought against Meruem, or Third Hokage went against Orochimaru.

2. But both in these cases, the supporting good character always had a formidable foe. Gege did not stray from the usage of a similar technique.

Up until this point in the Manga, Gojo has always been undefeatable. But then he pops out of his sealed concealment, and boom you have the strongest villain character snap right into him - Curse King Ryomen Sukuna.

Akutami might not be the greatest Maestro of threading hearts and connecting dots in fiction, but he sure is one (a maestro). Yet receiving death threats from fans may have reminded our beloved author that the Anime fandom that once was, no longer is. Why is that? Why don’t you read on to our main piece for the Seventh Edition of Mugen Monday?

I wish you good luck. Signing off.

- FOR THOSE WHO DARE DREAM

- From the Editor’s Desk

Rhytham Das, Editor-in-Chief, Spiel Anime

Akatsukimonogatari

Did you know that in the Sha no Sho: Art Official Fanbook, Masashi Kishimoto stated that he originally planned on making the Akatsuki a group of monsters with almost no human characteristics?

However, it's also worth noting that some elements of Kishimoto's original concept for the Akatsuki made it into the final product, such as Zetsu and Kisame Hoshigaki.

Bleached Swords

The name of Aizen's Zanpakutō, Kyōka Suigetsu, is a Chinese idiom that means "mirror flower, water moon". It is used to describe something that is beautiful and desirable, but unattainable, like a flower in a mirror or the moon reflected on water.

This idiom perfectly captures the essence of Kyōka Suigetsu's ability, which is to create complete illusions that can fool all five senses. Aizen can use his Zanpakutō to make his enemies see whatever he wants them to see, even if it is something that is impossible.

ARE MANHWA THE NEW ANIME?

_{This piece is written by the most avid reader of Manhwas in our Spiel Anime team, me. Hopes hopin’ that you love this.}

I would take pride in selfishly declaring that I have read far too many Manhwa to count. In sombre days when the rain dusked a little too dim for the rays of hope to ever dawn in its majesty, I had but the companionship of Manhwas.

That’s a poetic way of saying that Manhwa have been with me as a means of a getaway from the rigid world of this third-density reality.

And I would assume, although quite frantically, that such is the case for any form of art. People often associate a certain genre, an artist, or a band with themselves - absorbing their soul into what these artists have to provide.

Be it Linkin Park or BTS, the fandom of music artists stands witness to the fact that such artists and their work can become the subject of many people’s personal getaway into a world of fiction.

Such fantasy and ash remain only in the persons’ heads, and if along the way they find companions who share similar worlds in their heads as well, then these people feel elated. I too am no different.

WHY ANIME IS NOT WHAT IT WAS

In 2014 I found solace in the world of Anime, beginning with Full Metal Alchemist, Death Note and Attack on Titan. Prior to that, I had only been exposed to the merry-go Dragon Ball Z, which has undoubtedly stayed with me even today.

• However, there’s something I frown upon - the sheer magnitude at which Anime has evolved today is staggering.

• What was yesterday’s outcast, is today’s popularity. Watching ANIME back then was such a rare sight, had you found another person doing the same, you would jump straight into them. What Anime do you like? What do you think Eren’s future will be? Who do you think will beat Meruem?

Conversations flooded as two minorities found each other. But had they found a group, a total of more than ten, oh my! They couldn’t have ever asked for anything more.

Today, the tables have turned. It’s a social mandate to at least have watched Naruto and Attack on Titan. If you’re willing to be part of a more cultured club, then maybe Neon Genesis Evangelion, Berserk and Vagabond Manga, along with all the typical Shōnen stuff.

All in All, the number or the quantity of Anime watchers have emulsified into terrains perhaps previously unthought of.

A CONFESSION OF FEAR AND FAITH

Yet it is at this very precipice that I speak to you, my readers, and submit to you a personal confession. I have since long lost my seed of faith in Anime.

I no longer dive into an Anime with the same enthusiasm as I once did. I no longer find anything worth discussing. Sure, I work as an Editor-in-Chief of a growing Anime press company, and I do not mean to berate my work.

But it is true, the euphoria that I once was part of no longer is. Similar to how a person who cherishes an underrated band may find themselves dismayed when the entire world now listens to the same.

I have also become such a frantic wanderer, no longer amused by the tropes in Anime that had once engulfed my soul into a fantasy unprecedented.

A LOOK INTO MANHWA(S)

But somewhere I have found myself fluttering with excitement at some other developments.

1. Rushing towards the unglazed brilliance of the MCs who climb the tower.

2. The underdog F-class hunter climbs to become the most haunting SSS Class Hunter. 

3. The heavenly demon dies through betrayal but is somehow reincarnated into his own body at the age of 5, with his full memories of his past life intact.

4. The gamer who is thrown into the very game he has been playing.

5. The novel reader who suddenly finds his favourite fantasy novel is now materialised into reality.

All of these are common tropes found within Korean Reincarnation, Tower Climbing, and Murim Manhwa. And I love every bit of them. I have read so much, and by now I could probably generate hundreds and above articles on this in my company.

But I have selfishly refrained from capitalising on this. Today when I find my friends who read Manhwa like I do, I am staggered beyond excitement. I recommend them few I like, they read it and go crazy.

To submit to you in full honesty, I am even afraid of writing this as I am right now.

The fact is, the more people know about Manhwa, the more I jeopardize my own sense of secluded haven. My own fantasy, which I know is limited to a few individuals that I often stumble upon in the Webtoon app or some scanlation websites.

CONCLUDING

• With Solo Leveling being animated into an Anime, and Tower of God, God of High School already being made I feel afraid it won’t be long till the same spreads to Manhwa as well.

• I am very proud to be writing of this, and yet daunted. Daunted by the possibility, that what was yesterday’s Anime, is today that thing Manhwa?

However, I do admit to you a certain golden ray of hope. In all my experience, the Manga readers seem to be more cultured than Anime watchers.

For some reason, due to the rapid availability of Anime nowadays, everyone watches Anime, but taking the extra time to scroll through black-and-white panels of comics seems to be much more difficult for the general wannabe-weeb.

Is there a possibility such an effect would contaminate Manhwa (the closest neighbour to Manga)?

Perhaps in this, I shall take a little bit of solace. Until I am again reminded of a fact - one of the reasons why I secluded from Manga and turned to Manhwa is because the latter is coloured. And often so, it is quite more clearly drawn than Manga. Yet I have come upon this conclusion -

That Manhwa are more similar to Anime than it is to Manga. But only for those who dare dream.

• But you know what else is similar to Manhwa? This friggin cool newsletter.

• And you can definitely help this be read, even if not gazed upon like one would gaze at an art panel by sharing this link.