Ah. I knew the boy was going to die based on the preview trailer alone, but it still bothered me.
The whole time, I think we all knew while watching that the boy’s village had died. And that he was kidding himself with false hope to keep going on.
That’s such a lonely life, after all.
Alone with your thoughts, with nothing but the blinding white haze of snow blocking your gaze toward the distant fabled mountains.
To be quite honest, I’m surprised he was able to make it back home. I thought he would have simply perished in the snow. No name, nobody to look for him.
His only memory a face on a dilapidated hut soon to fall into ruin like those around it.
I wonder…why the wolf wanted him to stay? Did the original Joan know that there was nothing beyond the southern lands?
Except there really was, and Fushi ends up finding it after acquiring the boy’s body.
I wonder where Joan was actually initially going before the god inhabited his body.
Was he wandering the tundra for two months in an effort to find the boy’s family? Survivors from the village?
And the boy’s leg obviously got infected from those branches, not to mention the hypothermia associated with the blizzard, and falling through the ice. As soon as he picked those branches up from the tree I thought they were poisonous, just because of the way they looked.
After all, just like in the desert – if a plant can survive such harsh climate it usually has something wrong with it. Or at the very least, is not fit for human consumption.
I remember reading that this takes place in North America, so was the boy supposed to be a viking from a settlement up near Canada/Nova Scotia?
Just thinking – Joan essentially died the same way the boy did, as well. I think the wounds were even on the same side.
Man.
That was sad, but at least he met everyone and was reunited with them. So he did find paradise, it just wasn’t in this world.
Sometimes, life is funny like that, I guess.
Anyway, I’m glad I watched this. I’m glad he was reunited with his family.
The boy leashed Joan after him being gone two months, and even in his last moments had him tied in order to not be separated from him.
One of the last shots we see is Fushi now in the boy’s body with two ropes hanging from his arms – almost symbolizing that they are still connected, even if their souls are now apart.
The boy will be remembered forever ,now.
He’ll be immortalized, even if nobody but Fushi remembers him – his story will live on.
I’ve missed watching things like this. To Your Eternity reminds me so much of Mushishi, and to a lesser (but similar) extent – Natsume Yuujinchou.
So only one question this week: How are you enjoying To Your Eternity?
I think this is a fantastic series that I will be watching every single week, but will not be reviewing.
Why?
Simply because I think it’s one of those shows that you need to be mindful of while watching. To really be alone with your thoughts, and properly analyze it on your own time to further your understanding of its themes.
I’ll most likely have a full series review in a few months when it finished. I think it’s going to be 20 episodes, so it should be an enjoyable season for anime – even if To Your Eternity alone is the sole shining gem in a crate full of opportunity.
Leave your final thoughts about the season in the comment section below, I’d love to hear from you! Also be sure to follow us for more Spring Anime Reviews!
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