Manga Rambles - Blog Posts

catching up on hxh really makes me realise i forgot how brilliant of a writer togashi is. the way he's able to bring together so many characters, each with their unique goals, personalities, and abilities, and make ten different plot points converge in a beautiful web is absolutely crazy. while i do think that his hiatus helps him to some degree, i do NOT tolerate people who cannot recognize the massive creativity that goes into this manga. hxh is goddamn complicated, and every character in it is done justice in the way they're portrayed. some of the most mind boggling abilities i could never even imagine have been introduced by togashi while complying WITH the rules of the complex nen system (contamination, cat's name, bungee gum, rising sun, bodhisattva, emperor time, love dial and so many more are increasingly unique abilities which showcase how massive and nuanced togashi's power system is). every arc is consistently gripping with a healthy focus on action AND politics, wherein togashi forces you to face some of the worst deeds of society (with kakin empire being the most recent and perhaps the most disgusting example), and that is no easy feat. plus the way he's constantly able to resist the classic good triumphs evil narration, instead choosing to showcase gray characters who simply happen to have goals aligned with the "good side" and who still leave a trail of destruction in their wake?? selfishness is an extremely common theme throughout the characters, whether it's Gon's actions in Chimera Arc, Killua's possessiveness, Leorio's motivations, Kurapika's rage and grief that threatens to overpower even himself, or hell even Phantom Troupe's actions, and it really sticks with me as a reader. seriously, what an inspiration.

Why Kuzuryu’s final act was done incorrectly

In the king ♦︎ game Kuzuryu is left with the decision of judging the worth of Chishiya’s life by either pressing 0 (letting him live) or 1 (death). Kuzuryu’s ideal was that all life is equal.

He ends up pressing both 0 and 1 at the same time letting fate or luck decide. With that staying true to his ideal of not being able to judge the worth of life/refusing to.

In the live action adaptation he presses 0, letting Chishiya win. When I saw this I was mad. How does that show his ideals when they were to not judge life and then go against it and do so? Isn’t that deciding that Chishiyas life has more value than his.

By leaving it up to chance he crystallizes his ideals and sticks to what he believes in even if it were to cost him his life.

It also goes hand in hand into the ongoing subplot of Chishiyas luck in games even though he doesn’t care if he lives or dies. As if the universe is cursing him to face his emptiness.

After finishing the second season yesterday and ruminating a bit about it, I can confidently say I agree.

I’m still sad that manga Chishiya will only be a part of manga Chishiya and with that have less of an audience but I can also see the qualities of the LA version.

I think I was and am just sad that a character I adore was never shown in the end. By that I mean we only got a part of manga Chishiyas story. I was looking forward to the Mona Lisa scene and kuzuryu pressing both 0 and 1. I have something to say to Kuzuryu too an actual complaint of the LA.

Perhaps I was bitter- no I am probably bitter about it. I wanted to see those beautiful scenes in another medium. So it makes sense why I was so upset. I do hope it will be animated one day. What id give to heat a lovely soundtrack combined with rain sounds as Chishiya stands in-front of the ♢king entrance. I truly hope it will be made…

I musst seem oddly passionate about this story. I can’t help it though, it’s precious to me. I really am sad it wasn’t told in full- guess that’s just the pain one needs to expect when something gets adapted. Most times they change at least something anyway.

No, the Netflix live action (adaptation) doesn't butcher Chishiya's backstory. The two different backstories are relevant in explaining apathy.

(And as a manga reader who respects the mangaka (edit: and the scriptwriters), I see Live Action Chishiya and Manga Chishiya as two separate yet equally cool characters).

Apathy is rooted from a damaging childhood and a traumatizing adulthood.

This apathy is the reason why both Manga Chishiya and Live Action Chishiya seemed "unbothered", when they were actually almost mentally numb.

For apathy to start (with no neurological causes), one must be either an abused kid, or a traumatized and burned out adult, or both.

The emotional abuse that Manga Chishiya had to endure was killing him on the inside. So much that he chose medicine out of spite (although he said otherwise), and deteriorated.

While we don't know what made Live Action Chishiya chose medicine, the fact remains that he didn't do anything to save his patients from being manslaughtered and let it slide as an everyday decision.

Aren't these two the cases of apathy? Aren't these two backstories enough to explain that both Chishiyas are morally complicated?

No? Then let me explain more.

The post-Borderland consequences of the two different backstories matter in different ways for Chishiya.

Manga Chishiya would have to heal his inner wounded child and make up for his immoral act against his dying patient (the letter throwing), and for disregarding life (his and others). Maybe he would quit medicine as he rediscovers himself. Maybe he would be a better med student and then doctor. Maybe he would cut ties with his family. I don't know.

Meanwhile, Live Action Chishiya would have to come to terms with the fact that he was a gaslit, powerless adult who conspired with criminals in a series of manslaughter. Maybe he'd be a whistleblower. Possibly jailed. Made an outcast. Hated by the public and the patients. Or, he could become an anonymous whistleblower while recovering. Again, I don't know.

And the point is they both matter.

Also, no, the live action doesn't try to "make Chishiya more palatable to the public" as accused by some fellow manga readers, imho.

Because even in real life, complicit whistleblowers are shunned. Let alone a criminal. And what Chishiya did in the live action, no matter how decent a doctor he might've seemed at the start, was immoral and criminal.

So how can you call Live Action Chishiya "more morally palatable", when he did worse things than Manga Chishiya?

Instead of chasing palatability, the live action inserts an ongoing social problem into the character. There's a current debate in the ethics, medical and social research circles (for example in Germany) whether manipulation of organ transplant waitlist is considered manslaughter or organizational deviance. People actually die while waiting for their organ transplants, so when the waitlist is manipulated, isn't that a crime? I'm thankful that the show attached this complicated real time issue to Chishiya.

Child abuse and its long-lasting effects on children (the case of Manga Chishiya) will always be relevant. But so will the moral weight of taking lives (the case of Live Action Chishiya).

Last but not least, at the end of the day, didn't both Manga Chishiya and Live Action Chishiya want to change? Didn't they both save an innocent life? Why must it matter how they started out as long as they both emerged in the light?

Thanking user @kinnsporsche for their post.

Edited for grammatical reasons, clarity and more arguments.