Kagura_shihiro said:
So, i just finished watching katanagatari, although i really like the anime over all, the ending was confusing for me. First, when togame was dieying she said she was just using him as a pawn, but then she asks him if he would allow her to fall for him? I'm kind of confused, did they actually loved eachother? Second, when shichika fights the 12 swords in the castle, he says he is not fighting for revenge , but to die, yet he doesn't die and kills the shogun and blames him for waisting togame's life. So it's kind of contradicting. Could someone explain to me? Thanks in advance
No contradictions are present.
Let's do this in reverse order. Shichika plainly points out that he challenges all 12 holders of the swords in order to die. The fact that he doesn't is not a deception. It's merely an awkward moment in the plot, when we discover that his maximum effort to destroy his opponents, is more than they can deal with. Oh well, he failed to die.
One should look more carefully at the Epilogue of the show,which shows Shichika and Princess Hitei traveling together. It's not a peaceful relationship, but it serves to give us some background. Remember the palace scene. He says himself he's got just enough gas to kill one of the people in the throne-room. The one he didn't kill was Lady Hitei. She is the reason for his survival after he killed the Shogun, and razed the building to the ground. She found a way to save him, and herself too. Resourceful little devil if you ask me.
Now let's look at the long death-rattle of Togame. She knew a lot about Shichika. She was quite certain that her death would be traumatic for him. She wanted him to get on with his life. She said as much. It is one of those romantic moments when the dying removes themselves from the playing field by insulting themselves, in order to force their significant other, to let go and finish their own life with whatever remaining dignity they can find for themselves.
She made a powerful case for Shichika to leave the memory of Togame behind. And it stands as the most heartfelt and loving thing she had ever done in her entire life. Let's not get confused. She wasn't saying she loved Shichika. She did a loving and honorable thing, in the attempt to strip herself away from her loyal, dedicated and true companion. She wanted Shichika to live. Not just to exist. Existence, by reliving your memories of what could have been, wasn't living at all. It would be a waste of time. She wanted to save Shichika from her own life and ultimately, her fate. Dying a useless death, for a life with a useless pursuit at the bottom of a useless and pointless agenda.
By the end of Katanagatari, we all realize that Togame and Lady Hitei should have been friends and allies. Their agendas were identical. Their methods differed slightly, but the objective of destroying the Shoganate should have led each woman to seek the other out in friendship and mutual alliance. They both ended up in a struggle that even Lady Hitei pointed out, only one of them would remain. Somebody was going to be dead at the end of the struggle. It could easily have gone either way.
Lady Hitei was a terrific character. By the time she realized that the Shogun would die, but the Shogunate would continue, she really didn't care whether she lived or died. That's why she told Shichika she would surrender to his personal tender mercies, upon his total victory. She realized that her great, great grandfather many times removed, Kiki Shikizaki had failed in his attempt to change the flow of time. Her task was completed, as a failure, in the large issue.
So she had nothing left to do. The only thing left was to survive, by filling the companionable place of Togame, for Shichika, because she had her remaining wealth, to supply all survival needs for many years. And both she and Shichika buried themselves in the shadows of time and space. That too, is very romantic. I don't mean to suggest they would become lovers. I only mean that the notion of traveling together, was a romantic notion.
I hope all this discussion helps. Katanagatari is a terrific anime, and has much to say about; love, hate, revenge, cold calculation, and the things we leave behind, in order to be forgotten.
Have fun and good luck! |
