If you asked me to finish the sentence, “ Kill la Kill is the story of…,” I would finish it with a focus on Ryuko’s character arc, because, at the end of the day, even when the show’s about way too many things to cram into one measly little sentence, above everything else, it is Ryuko’s story. It probably goes without saying that I’m of the opinion that, regardless of the baffling, “style-over-substance, turn-your-brain-off-to-enjoy” labels that have been “bestowed” upon Kill la Kill, it is a show that has a lot to say.Īs I’ve mentioned, it is character-driven, and (to the chagrin of many, it seems), our main character Ryuko is the one doing most of the driving. When it comes to Ryuko and Senketsu, doing just that is, well, the very core of everything Kill la Kill. You know, about “mutually each other to live.” About making something more genuine and heartfelt than the generic and superficial. It’s about putting the relationship before the blushes and the handholding and the kisses. Rather, the focus here is to depict how and why characters are important to each other and why this matters. There are certainly romantic elements, but this is not the focus of what the show’s trying to do. Kill la Kill? It just ain’t that kind of series. And with all these tacked-on love stories flooding the gates of fiction everywhere, it’s not hard to see the not-so-kind message that in order for a relationship to be important or significant, it has to be romantic. Of course, there’s nothing inherently wrong with it-and honestly, I’d really be one to talk if there was-but pushing a romance simply for the sake of having a romance has become increasingly tired. What makes this particular quote so noteworthy is that it draws light to the rather… unhealthy obsession this day and age has with romance. You could probably make an argument that there’s some true lovin’ going on with a lot of the relationships the show explores, but the purpose of this post is to make an argument for just one: the relationship between Ryuko and Senketsu.īefore I get down deep into that, though, I want to expand on Miyazaki’s sentiment up there. It’s a character-driven story, and a story dedicated to the relationships between these characters. Because unlike the generic action shounen with generic monster-of-the-week battles that I’d initially written the series off to be, Kill la Kill is, at its heart, not really about the fighting. ( Source)Īgainst all my expectations, Kill la Kill ended up being the type of show that managed to get pretty damn close to this “true expression of love” that Miyazaki describes. Rather, I want to portray a slightly different relationship, one where they two mutually inspire each other to live-if I’m able to, then perhaps I’ll be closer to portraying a true expression of love. Hayao Miyazaki: I’ve become skeptical of the unwritten rule that just because a boy and girl appear in the same feature, a romance must ensue. There’s this quote from Hayao Miyazaki that I really like to take to heart, as both a writer myself and as a lover of fiction. The Relationship Between Ryuko and Senketsu
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |