Inuyashiki Episode 3 Discussion

Raipaz said:
Only thing that I'm quite confused by was how did Hiro know his power and his power's limit? He only had his power for only a few days. Why wouldn't Inuyashiki know his as well?

Tamtsumaki said:
I can't help but smile when I see Inuyashiki doing something nice, also I found cute when he was thinking about taking Hanako for a walk (Hanako best girl)
I'm feeling like the voice acting was quite better in this episode, Inuyashiki's voice grew on me, I'm pretty used to it and I find it pretty fitting for his character.
Hiro going onto killing random people just because, but I'm conflicted with the fact that he killed those dudes at the school, because he also defended his "friend" and he even told him before "I can kill them for you" which he did here, lol. Also when Ando told him he wouldn't be friends with a murder, I'm glad Hiro just walked away like "okay dude, but come to school" and didn't kill him. Buuuut then he goes and kills the family and the dog, so just when I could try to like him, he does other shit that makes me return to dislike him once again.

Squidster said:
I wonder if when Inuyashiki and Hiro finally confront each other, Inuyashiki is gonna have one of those "but killing is wrong" moments. He certainly doesn't have an issue with beating the shit out of people so at least we'll have that.

kyoudai said:
Stories with all-good and all-bad characters are usually pretty damned shallow and not at all fulfilling to watch. On the other hand, we've gotten so used to the dark heroes and villains with redeeming qualities thanks to Frank Miller-era Batman and its kin that seeing all-good and all-bad characters is sort of refreshing.

So, I have to wonder: Will Inuyashiki change in some way? Will he take on a less selfless, more cynical approach to being a hero? Hiro isn't quite as all-bad as Inuyashiki is all-good, since we've seen him healing Ando's cut, and I expect in future episodes we'll see more of his failure to use his capacity for doing good. But what will happen with Inu-san?

And now for replies:


One could even say that Inuyashiki (the man) is the spiritual descendant of Astroboy/A106. I'm probably reading too much into it, but perhaps the author is making a comment on the manga/anime industry in general and how it has changed over the years, from Astroboy to One Piece (and beyond). Or, maybe it's more a comment about "we are what we read". Inuyashiki was a fan of Astro-boy and is striving to be like him, while Hiro is a fan of One Piece, and is nothing more than a nihilist. Or, like I said, maybe I'm just reading too much into it. You can read anything between the lines if you squint hard enough.




First, let's get straight for those at home the difference between egoism and egotism, since they're often used interchangeably. Egotism: "the practice of talking and thinking about oneself excessively because of an undue sense of self-importance." Egotism: "an ethical theory that treats self-interest as the foundation of morality." (New Oxford American English Dictionary)

I think of it more as empathy vs nihilism, not altruism vs egoism. In other words, more in terms of their motives than their actions. Nihilism and egoism are not contradictory nor mutually exclusive. Hiro's nihilistic, which is to say, nothing has any meaning or value. There's nothing sacred or sovereign in his life, such as life itself. He's not a complete nihilist, or even his friends and family would not be safe from being killed. So, there are indeed a few things he values: his friends, his family, and One Piece. Otherwise, he has nothing for anything.

The result of his nihilism, though, is egoism: His world does revolve around him, and he makes choices that suit what he wants, without regard to others' needs or consequences to others. But he isn't especially egotistical.


I could see him doing it if he had nothing else to do and there was someone who looked like Nami nearby.


If Inuyashiki can cry, Hiro can have sex. At the very least, he can use foreign objects, fingers, etc.

JohnTron said:


Nihilists tend to be lazy and feel like nothing is worth doing because everything is going to end eventually.
Hiro however may show some nihilistic traits but he does show extreme motivation to create a god complex around himself. Someone brought up a lack of empathy earlier which was an excellent observation as Hiro has stated he has "always been like this". This could confirm, (based on his actions) that Hiro is a psychopath and possibly carries narcissistic baggage. I noticed this.
This is why I used altruism versus egotism when comparing the two main characters.

English is a very interesting language, reflecting on how words work and their polar-opposites intrigues me.
But remember, this is a cyberpunk philosophical genre; to say it isn't somewhat subjective to the viewer is an understatement regarding how the characters are portrayed.

Daniel_Naumov said:

To claim there is subjectivity in viewing this (I... I will say *at least* this series) series is an act of spitting on the concepts of good and evil. At least.

RevyHolixx said:
this is masterpiece, I want add Hiro to my fav character but its full xD

Vindicater said:


What...

Hiro is a psychopath. Why would he be your favourite character.

The last scene was him basically murdering a whole family for no other reason than he was angry Ando did not come to school.

This show is doing an amazing job of showing what could happen if these sort of powers landed in the wrong hands.

Hiro will only escalate from here.

JohnTron said:
Nihilists tend to be lazy and feel like nothing is worth doing because everything is going to end eventually.
Hiro however may show some nihilistic traits but he does show extreme motivation to create a god complex around himself. Someone brought up a lack of empathy earlier which was an excellent observation as Hiro has stated he has "always been like this". This could confirm, (based on his actions) that Hiro is a psychopath and possibly carries narcissistic baggage. I noticed this.
This is why I used altruism versus egotism when comparing the two main characters.

English is a very interesting language, reflecting on how words work and their polar-opposites intrigues me.
But remember, this is a cyberpunk philosophical genre; to say it isn't somewhat subjective to the viewer is an understatement regarding how the characters are portrayed.

Ging3r_Br3ad_ said:
Can anyone tell me why Inuyashiki acts like he was still a 58 years old man (the way he walks for e.g) ?
I mean, now that he's overpowered and his body made of metal, he should easily move , isn't he ?

gigolettes said:
something interesting that popped up in that convo was when hiro said "i've always been like this" (or something along those lines) which makes me think he isn't so drunk on power but rather is finally getting the chance to do things he has long fantasized about doing.

Mia01 said:
That last scene when we just see the house and the screaming just stop was terrifying. I wonder if those kids running in the street are dead too. :/ How many people did Hiro killed?

TrashDax said:
These criminals are kinda stupid, aren't they?

kyoudai said:

Are you confusing fatalism with nihilism? Hiro's clearly not a fatalist. He does show some narcissistic/egotistical traits, but perhaps "lacking empathy" is the best way to describe him. I want to say that he doesn't particularly have a god complex, since the only time he really talks about his abilities is when telling Andou there's nothing to be afraid of because not even the US military could stop him, but I see that more as stating fact (at least as he believes, and perhaps objective fact as well), not as self-aggrandizement or overinflated ego. He isn't bragging, just telling Andou how it is in a matter-of-fact way.

Whether his actions are based on egoistic (as opposed to egotistic) principles, though, that's firmly established: He does what he wants, period. I think it's also worth nothing, as a general concept, that egoism does not necessarily exclude altruism. Egoists can be altruistic when doing so also helps themselves. They're not, however, selfless or self-sacrificing. It's altruism for their own sake, not for the sake of others. Hiro provides a perfect example of that in this episode when he killed the three bullies from school. He (believed he) was helping his friend, but it wasn't for his friend's sake that he killed them so much as for his own. Inuyashiki, however, shows us "true" selfless altruism -- or does he? Is he helping others for their sake, or for his own? That's certainly open to debate. Some would argue that every action, no matter how seemingly altruistic or self-sacrificing, has at least some basis in self-interest. That may be true.

I'm still undecided whether to call Hiro a psychopath or sociopath. At first it seemed like his motive was only to feel alive, which would point to him being a sociopath. But now I think he is starting to enjoy it, which makes him more of a psychopath.

Hiro's personality, motivations, and everything else about him (as well as Inu-san's, to a somewhat lesser extent) are very much open to subjective interpretation, as you've said. But I think that's one of the things that can make a story really great.