DO NOT discuss the source material beyond this chapter. If you want to discuss future events, please use separate threads.
DO NOT ask where to read/download this chapter or give links to copyrighted, non-fair use material.
DO NOT troll/bait/harass/abuse other users for liking or disliking the series/characters.
DO read the Manga Discussion Rules and Site & Forum Guidelines.
DO NOT ask where to read/download this chapter or give links to copyrighted, non-fair use material.
DO NOT troll/bait/harass/abuse other users for liking or disliking the series/characters.
DO read the Manga Discussion Rules and Site & Forum Guidelines.
| THIS IS A MANGA ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS ANYTHING BEYOND THIS CHAPTER. ---------------------------------------- Taki went full Hideyoshi, admitting that this life wasn’t for him, but he crossed a gap he couldn’t return from, using very similar language to what Hideyoshi did. “I will continue to climb to the top of my own path. Money, women, violence… I know no other way of living than those.” vs “Money, violence, drugs, all of those things have made me who I am today. It's the path I've come to follow.” This leads to treading the very similar thematic ground as the Hideyoshi climax and that makes it deeply interesting to me. To preface why, I must explain one of the strongest themes and messages I interpret from this manga. Shinjuku Swan is a story about constantly grappling with a harsh reality, a world which is crushing and tempts its people to live lives untrue to themselves, and unable to right their wrongs, they live on borrowed time. Whether it’s these people, or the victims of them, it is futile to help them. The only rational answer is to begin a path which hurts themselves and others. Yet Tatsuhiko’s existence is a statement against this! A recurrent question and belief he brings up is that hard work and belief can salvage anyone. He tells this to the scout that doesn’t want to face Yamashiro due to his unauthorized scouting, he tells this to Hideyoshi by allowing him to escape, he tells this to Mayumi when she tries to kill herself, he tells this to Taki here. Further, no matter how much it hurts him or how difficult it is, he cares about people and acts on their behalf. When Tatsuhiko left the Hideyoshi arc, he had not saved anyone, not Ageha, not Hideyoshi, he felt intense guilt and this idealistic world view was thrown into question. Someone who was less courageous would have accepted that answer, but instead he fought on, he carried Hideyoshi in spirit, he learned from his past mistakes, he started to train, he began acting preemptively, and he put his life on the line for his way/his path. No matter what faced him, even if he faltered at times, he lived true to himself. And while the message was always one of life being incredibly unforgiving and hard, Tatsuhiko only getting by through coincidence or after much suffering, there were results. His actions helped reform and save Inukai, reform Kaede, save Aoi, he guided the way and gave Ide the courage to walk a good path, he showed Soga and Ushio the errors of their ways, Soga is currently making up for it on Team Tatsuhiko, Mayumi walked free too. As mentioned things have been hellish, but by being willing to die and being resolved, perhaps irrationally so, to live a good life and care for others, Tatsuhiko has walked a good path, changed the world around him, and lived true to himself. I find that message deeply empowering and human. While never sugarcoating it, Tatsuhiko typically playing a small role in the overall conclusion, belief and hard work, carrying on through hardship, it did get him results, it was absolutely worth it. He even had a strong family form around him in Burst, at least a few of them, and he met people who did this for him when he needed help like Kitsukawa! Now that this is expressed, it is exactly why treading the exact same ground as Hideyoshi, and ending it the same way is a bold move. As if things have been too optimistic, as if Wakui Ken is making a declaration that we may have failed and prospered, but we will fail again and again and again, in the same way as before even. A stern reminder that no matter how hard we fight, we shall still be burned and tortured, we won’t always be enough. Of course, I'll need to see the upcoming chapters to fully form a take, but currently this feels like another test. To reflect Hideyoshi’s spirit in another man, to then give a moment of beautiful hope, a warm calm after the storm in which he admits that even after losing everything, the moon will still be beautiful akin to the heart warming “until we meet again” scene, and then to kill him off and rip that hope from our hearts. That is a painful notion, history repeats itself, and rather than the obvious- coming up to the same conflict that was failed and succeeding the second time, we failed again. I love that so much, it’s a crazy decision, and the way it was done with the uncomfortable Tatsuhiko alerting Seki before the reality of the situation kicked in, turning to see a wide shot without Taki anywhere to be seen, and everyone realizing just as you did. It was sold hard, it made me buy into hope once more just as it did with Hideyoshi, and it was just as shocking when it was destroyed. clap Side note, I started to wonder if the Yousuke kill was really a pity kill as he kind of presented it as. As if, expecting that he may die soon, he didn't want to leave Yousuke alone. |
More topics from this board
Poll: » Shinjuku Swan Chapter 1 DiscussionStark700 - May 12, 2015 |
5 |
by JVskunkape
»»
Jun 14, 2024 2:09 AM |
|
» No group scanlating it?millo - Aug 11, 2011 |
2 |
by basedpeyt
»»
Sep 22, 2022 2:17 PM |
|
Poll: » Shinjuku Swan Chapter 51 DiscussionStark700 - Aug 7, 2016 |
2 |
by Keyaru6
»»
Jun 18, 2021 4:51 AM |
|
Poll: » Shinjuku Swan Chapter 45 Discussiongfsdfgsdgsdfgs - May 5, 2019 |
2 |
by Keyaru6
»»
Jun 18, 2021 3:45 AM |
|
Poll: » Shinjuku Swan Chapter 42 Discussiongfsdfgsdgsdfgs - May 3, 2019 |
1 |
by Keyaru6
»»
Jun 18, 2021 3:31 AM |