| Subject: Deep thoughts at 1:35 AM |
Author:
Ariane
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Date Posted: 14:40:37 12/26/03 Fri
In reply to:
Ari
's message, "Re: Not looking good" on 08:37:41 12/25/03 Thu
>It would also require THEM to remember that the earth
>and humanity are at stake here, too... sometimes I
>wonder if they really do, because there's next to ZERO
>discussion on it in the manga. For all the interesting
>moral conundrums there could have been as a result of
>the plot of the story, in reality the DoE have simply
>been painted as the 'bad guys' since the beginning,
>end of discussion. The only DoE that could question
>it- Kusanagi- condemns their actions as well and won't
>fight for them. It's the FANS, in my opinion, that
>bring the moral debate to X, because the story itself
>short-changes it to the point of non-existence.
It seems to me that the focus of "X" isn't moral decision making at all. Rather, it's about the characters, their relationships and how they interact with one another. The End of Days, the two opposing sides, the decision to save humanity or save the earth isn't meant to be the focus of the story. Those things serve as backdrops that create internal and external conflict for characters. Remember that Kamui didn't decide to save humanity because he felt morally obligated to save billions of humans. He did it because the people he loved - Fuuma and Kotori - were there. Similarly, after Daisuke was killed Kamui didn't attack Fuuma because he felt he was Hand of Justice, as it were. He attacked Fuuma because the pretty bastard killed someone close to him. I could go on and on, but basically my point is that we're not expected to care - for lack of a better word - so much about what happens to earth and humans as we are to care about the characters as individuals.
Reaching moral conclusions doesn't drive the characters in "X". Emotions do. Perhaps for that reason, CLAMP choose 'simplify' the background a bit, if you will. That is, less philosphy, more character development (Kusanagi weeps).
"X" gets hyped up to be a story about two sides fighting the final battle for the fate of humanity. While that's certainly true, I think it causes readers to pay less attention to the characters while they search for philosphical debates about the environment and humanity and so forth. As a result, people get frustrated when they can't find much discussion of those "philosphical" points. The description of "X" as a story of "two friends torn about by fate" is more accurate than the description that calls it "a story about the end of the world".
As for the Dragons of Earth being written off as 'bad guys', I see irony that makes things a bit more complicated than appears to be on the surface. ^^ In the Book of Revelations, the Seven Angels break the Seven Seals at God's command. Fuuma is depicted with angel wings, while Kamui gets demon wings. So, who is really the 'bad guy'? But like I said, that isn't the point of the story (not that I don't muse this over myself *wink*).
I do agree that fans bring a lot of the moral debate tp the series. I don't think that's bad at all, but I also don't think it's the point of "X". It would be easier to discuss the ethics of the characters rather than the groups they belong to (focusing on Subaru as a 'good' or 'bad' guy as opposed to the Dragos of Heaven as 'good' or 'bad' guys), because the characters are the point of the series.
Wow, I wrote a lot. o_o I wonder if that made any sense...
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