THAT Animeblog

Cue late post. Cue the 1000 other reasons that causes me to be late in viewing this episode, other than the fact that I have been swallowed by the major Chinese strategy game known as “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”. I always remember how I am in love with the game, and I got the latest installation of the long running series. Procrastination aside, Rahzel, Alzeid and Heat find themselves in a snow filled forest, as they traveled on pure white snow. Yet, the white snow tells a sad story of a girl who simply wants to see the blue sky.

Screenshots: http://www.sendspace.com/file/upjqk9

Episode summary

Rahzel was admiring the romantic landscape by reciting some traditional clique lines about how snow is beautiful. Rahzel ran down the snow slope but she fell. As the two picked her up, the two started reciting traditional Japanese poems and tenka (songs) to make fun of the unappreciative Alzeid. An avalanche suddenly came as Alzeid and Rahzel flew with their magic, showing their condolences to the soon to be swamped Heat. Rahzel was then pluck from the sky by a rope-like thing. In a flashback, we see the young Alzeid speaking to a blue-eyed lady, saying how the sky is like her eyes even though he never saw it.

When Alzeid woke up, he saw Ludwika, a fellow albino. Heat started to speculate that Ludwika is Alzeid’s illegal daughter. A group of people starts to look for Ludwika with guns, but the villagers simply mistook the three to be attacking Ludwika. The mayor explains that Ludwika is an albino that cannot be exposed to light, but always tries to escape. He then asks Alzeid why he can go to the sun, but Alzeid says that anyone can do it with sunblock and sunglasses. Other than poor vision and sensitivity to ultraviolent rays, there is nothing special since she will be like a normal child. The mayor says it is the view of someone from the outside world, but the villagers cannot survive without the sun. Ludwika yearns the sun, but cannot be exposed to light. He wanted to say more but he is stopped by the other villagers.

Rahzel questions about him not being able to see, and he admits that he has poor vision sometimes. Heat says it is because Rahzel is too short and is not in their line of vision when she is close. Rahzel starts to take out a katana from her bear, and she decides to attack Heat in order to make him short. Ludwika asks Alzeid about the sky, and Alzeid says it is like Rahzel’s eyes. As Rahzel continues to attack, Ludwika stops her to ask about the color of the sky and says it is beautiful. Alzeid mumbles it is. A flashback shows that Alzeid says there is nothing about the sky. The woman says Alzeid is a romanticist and promises to bring him out despite Alzeid’s protests that his father will not allow it.

We return to the present where Rahzel suggests to sneak Ludwika out. The tree branches are starting to move, and Rahzel wants to tell Ludwika that the sky is not like her eyes. Heat clearly shows that he is scared of the cold as he tries to prepare coffee. Heat mentions how he feels like someone is looking at him and says that there should not be a map in this forest area. Alzeid says it’s terrible coffee and tells him not to act strong. The villagers are discussing about fertilizers to save Ludwika and says that the three have to die.

The three escaped in the middle of the night when Alzeid overheard the conversation. Rahzel says that it might be his dream since Alzeid often walks while sleeping. Alzeid says it’s rarely, not often. Heat says he still feels he is spied, and Alzeid says the forest is awake. Rahzel makes fun of his silly talk and Heat notices that they are moving in circles. Ludwika suddenly appears and says that she will lead them out. The villagers also decide to give chase to find the three. Rahzel tells Ludwika that she can leave, but Alzeid realizes Ludwika wants to see the light. Alzeid warns her that her bones are more brittle, her vision poorer than normal people, rays hurting her body.

He continues that it is a disease that she cannot get rid of, but says that Ludwika can still leave a normal life. Alzeid says that she has to understand that people who care for her are more paranoid, but applauds her for having the drive to see the blue sky despite being restricted. Alzeid wants her to understand that her being here is betraying the people she cares. When Ludwika says she understands, Alzeid says the decision is her own, refuting Rahzel’s concern by saying that Rahzel also does everything she feels like doing. Rahzel decides to prepare Ludwika with sunblock, and asks the two for sunglasses.

Another flashback appears as Alzeid says he is a child that does not know anything other than the room he stays in. Going out to see the sky is like a dream, yet there is a woman who is nosy to bother as a pool of blood appears in the flashback. In the present, Ludwika tells Rahzel that Alzeid says she is normal but she says that she is hardly normal when she has to prepare so much. Rahzel says her own analogy about tall people, and how she is always too slow. Despite her being short, the two often slow down to keep pace with her. Hence, her “disability” is no longer one. Ludwika asks if she can do it, and Rahzel says she can do it if she have friends that will support her.

The forest starts to move to attack the three and Heat mentions how the mayor is the “final boss of this stage”. Rahzel notices that the attacks feel more like a prayer for help, rather than any killing intent. The mayor says that without sunlight and the severe weather, their only wish is to preserve their child. Alzeid went berserk after remembering his past, and Ludwika blocks a fatal attack on Alzeid. Ludwika says she can finally see the sunlight, as she dissipates to pure white petals. Alzeid finally understands that their blood are nutrients for an albino plant. He remembers how he first saw his glimpse of sunlight. As he leaves, he says that there will be a time when the flowers will bloom during spring as the white stalk appears with two leaves, symbolizing the coming of spring for Ludwika.

Thoughts

One of the interesting themes discussed in this episode is the yearning for something despite the handicaps. For those who are not familiar with Albinism, there is a stigma as the condition is often a source of ridicule, discrimination or even fear. That is perhaps the social condition that Hatenkou Yuugi wants us to understand: that being restricted by fate does not mean that you should allow fate to dictate your life. It is little wonder why the villagers are so ready to protect a albino stalk like Ludwika.

It is clear that Alzeid understands Ludwika very well since he is somewhat different from the normal person. He does have magic of some sort since he glows with a blue light when he flew up along with Rahzel (who is endowed with a pink glow). Moreover, from the various flashback scenes, it is clear that he is strangely kept in his room the whole time without yearning to escape from his fate.

That is perhaps why he admires Ludwika, a being that is willing to explore the unknown despite knowing how it might eventually harm her. I might be going on a rather exploratory tangent here but it seems to symbolize this notion about uncertainty, and how uncertainty keeps us from doing things that we want. If anything, Alzeid in his young age definitely wants to see the sun, but is stopped by himself.

I wonder how many times we are stopped by our emotions. Most of the time, we are told by conventional reasoning that something should not be done. In terms of how we live, in terms of how we do things, it is often dictated despite the capability of “free will”. Yet, if something is clearly good but is hindered by your physical or emotional state of mind, just try to find something to overcome it.

I think that this is the message of the episode that spoke to me. How about you?