| Anime is one of the best things that could possibly | | | | back out on our own words. |
| happen to television. Since its debut outside Japan, | | | | Almost all of the characters have hidden messages |
| anime has reeled in millions and millions of fans. | | | | within their own stories and backgrounds. Take |
| However, there are those that remain skeptical of | | | | Zabuza, he is portrayed as a heartless killer, a villain, |
| anime, thinking of it only as a glammed up version of | | | | someone whom we are programmed to hate. And |
| the typical cartoons that we see on TV. They take | | | | yet, at the final moments of his life, it is revealed that |
| one look at the too perfect faces, the out of his world | | | | despite all his brusqueness, he is still human, like all of |
| costumes, and the quintessential talking animals and | | | | us. And he knows how to value and be grateful to |
| they immediately dismiss anime as childish. Well, we as | | | | those he loves. The message in this is clear, those |
| watchers of anime know that there’s much more | | | | who have done several misdeeds are still human, and |
| to anime beneath its cartoonish facade. | | | | we owe it to them and to ourselves to coax the |
| There are several hidden messages in anime, | | | | humanity out of them. |
| messages that speak directly to the soul, messages | | | | And it’s not just the characters that are worth |
| about life’s lessons and truths. They might be hard | | | | looking into either. The themes and plots of several |
| to see at face value but if you look past all the humor | | | | anime deserve a lot of praise for their insight and |
| and all the drama, you’ll see that what the | | | | ingeniousness. Look at the anime Deathnote, if you |
| characters are going through, be it a robot invasion or | | | | take it at face value, it’s nothing more than just a |
| one-on-one battle with a dragon, are essentially the | | | | very well-written and well-portrayed thriller, complete |
| same things that we’re going through… just | | | | with some of the best plot twists ever concocted in |
| translated into fantasy. And every obstacle they | | | | anime history. But if you look at its theme, you’ll see |
| encounter, every moral dilemma they face, we can | | | | that it’s about the classic debate on justice… is it |
| relate to in some way or another. | | | | just to kill evil men for the sake of protecting those |
| Take Naruto for example. He is a young orphan boy | | | | who are good? Or should we allow evil men to live on |
| who has been ostracized by his village for having a | | | | the premise that they’re human like all of us? |
| demon fox sealed inside of him. Now, I doubt that any | | | | It’s even reminiscent of the age-old debate about |
| of you who are reading this have demon foxes sealed | | | | the death penalty. Do we really have the right to kill |
| inside of you. But I can bet that some of you have felt | | | | another human being? |
| ostracized, unwanted, underestimated, and utterly alone | | | | Indeed, the hidden messages in anime are very |
| at some point in your lives. And even when all you | | | | thought provoking and it fosters self analysis at many |
| want is a bit of acknowledgment, nobody seems to | | | | levels. They might just change the way we view our |
| want to give it to you. And here’s where | | | | lives if we take a more serious approach to them and |
| Naruto’s hidden message comes in even in Naruto | | | | utilize its life provoking lesson to make our society a |
| Shippuden… it’s a challenge to all of us, to do what | | | | better place. Yes, all in all it’s just anime but the |
| Naruto is currently doing: never giving up. It’s a | | | | power that it brings onto the table should never be |
| challenge for us to take on his nindo and to never | | | | underestimated. |