The Art of Philosophy in the Animation World Pt. 2

In my previous installment The Art of Philosophy in the Animation World I discussed the use of philosophy in a specific show titled Boondocks. I discussed the setting of the show and gave a few examples of how the show utilizes philosophy to make the series more entertaining. In this installment, The Art of Philosophy in the Animation World Pt. 2, I would like to discuss the use of philosophy in a different anime. I would like to discuss the different philosophical viewpoints of a few different anime, but due to the recommended length of these installments I will stick to one per installment.

Kino’s Journey is a story that follows a young lady by the name of Kino and her ventures as she rides her talking motorbike Hermes. The show is still currently airing, being relatively new (I believe it came out this season), and in each episode the two visit a different town which has its own type of people. In order to keep experiencing new things Kino and Hermes only stay in each town for a maximum of three days. Like I mentioned afore, each town comes with its own people and customs, but they also come with their own problems. The different topics that the episodes are themed around are things like tradition, freedom, war, and life as well. These episodes can target what is believed to be morally right or wrong, ethical or unethical, and can often make you think on what your position may be on the subject.

For instance, in the very first episode “A Country where People Can Kill…” the topic of taking another’s life comes to play. By the title one could assume that the town would be full of criminals, venturing to this town to not be prosecuted by the law for their actions after they’ve murdered someone. This, however, is not the case. The actual residents of this town in their own eyes are protectors of life. The way their system works, if someone makes an attempt on someone’s life unjustly then it is wrong. Killing by means of self-protection or for a right cause is justifiable and, by their rules, is not a criminal act. This is represented when another man wants Kino’s bike, Hermes, and attempts to kill her for it. The town’s folk come to her aid, as they all bare arms, and kill the man in the dirt street. The setting of the episode makes it similar to the old west, a time in which this ideology was embraced. However, this philosophy begs the question, when is there ever just cause to take someone else’s life?

I’m sure most in the world would agree that you shouldn’t take someone’s life in any circumstance unless it is the only option left. You never know if that person may change and become better than their current state or if there are better means of punishment than taking his or her life. “The Human Condition” is a peculiar position in where there’s conflict between what is and what ought to be. So, there ought not to be any killings but there are. Which allows for the question when is it okay to take someone else’s life. The show has many other instances that make one ponder their own philosophical viewpoints and it manages to keep its audience entertained. The show has gotten a lot of good criticism, and as for my personal opinion, Kino’s Journey is (so far) an amazing series.

Sources:

www.crunchyroll.com/kinos-journey-the-beautiful-world-the-animated-series

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_of_life

https://japaneselevelup.com/5-anime-deeper-than-any-philosophy-book/