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would you rather become numb? have every symbol missed and mashed until everything lost it's meaning and turned into a beautifully rich forest of knowledge to be observed but never observe?
Hey great vid, thank you. Another anime that is intrigued with death is Casshern Sins, I'd give it a try sometime if it seems interesting at all to you.
I think one thing worth noting, is that this anime was likely heavily influenced by the philosophy of Alberto Camus. Rajdhani even quotes Camus before they take off on the rocket. In particular I think Camus Myth of Sisyphus might help in understanding some of the philosophy behind the anime. The book is Camus trying to find the answer to what he believes is the most important philosophical question, why does someone commit suicide? Camus argues that in finding what a suicide lacks, you'll find what gives life meaning. In the end it boils down to three things, the knowledge that the universe is uncaring, having a purpose that gives your life meaning, and knowing that that purpose is also meaningless. I do wonder if the whole point of Sonny Boy, is in Nagara finding a purpose to keep him from suicide.
@@ryukin8385 It's not so much that knowing your purpose is meaningless that gives life meaning as it is that it keeps you from breaking. If you believe that your purpose in life has a great meaning, you leave yourself open to be crushed once you realize that the universe is uncaring and your purpose is meaningless when weighed against the vast uncaring universe. Knowing your purpose is meaningless, but choosing to do it anyways, allows you to continue with your purpose and give your life meaning.
@@thoughtsdie8138 Yea, it especially puts the ending into context. If you haven't already seen it, I suggested watching Viral's video on the Myth of Sisyphus itself.
Am I the only one who has a heavy heart since watching the anime ? The idea of death had never crossed me so much, and despite the obvious cathartic of the final scene, I feel a pain that I can't describe every time I think back to Sonny Boy, I embrace the fact that one day I will be able to overcome it.
You're definitely not alone, Sonny Boy is probably the anime ending that's made me the most emotional. It's genuinly the first thing to make me confront one of my most closely held beliefs about death, and I love it for that
@@ProfessorViral I think you should give the short video game Cruelty Squad a look then. This show and that game conclude the same things about death, though in very different styles. Cruelty Squad is an abrasive game on the senses (I love it some don't), it gives really good satirical social comentary, and the same philosophy on death in the final ending of the game. The main character in the game ALSO invents death in a world where there is no more death.
me too man. the more i think about the anime the heavier my heart gets. i have rewatched the part where they run through/leave the dimensions and return to their own world at least 5 times. the song, the animation, the journey. just everything
It’s interesting how we feel about death. I’ve been chronically ill for 13 years now and for me death feels like a welcome embrace or an escape. I love life and i’ll do my bestest to hold on too it but the representation of the moment where I have to strife no more does not scare me. I am not suicidal and I will receive what life gives me but I will peacefully await the day life releases me from its grip.
honestly the more i think about sonny boy, the better it gets. there are so many details, so many ideas, so many things to love, to discover, to understand. and unlike other "philosophical" series like lain and such, it does that while having an easily understandable and enjoyable story. it wasn't at first, but a after a re-watch, some research and a few videos like this, it's a 10/10 for me. great video analysis, you even set an idea for some things that i struggled to understand like what happened to war.
This is a series that got better for me as well on a rewatch. I also 100% agree on it's advantage over other series like Lain. In a way, it simplified surrealism, allowing to to play with out of the box ideas, but without utterly confusing the viewer, which is key. I don't think a viewer should have to sit and think about what happened, but instead why it happened, and that's what Sonny Boy mastered
I think one thing that might be ignored a lot because it is not said specifically, but Hoshi was the one that became the inventor that Rajdhani talks about in the 11th episode, and I think it's a great comparison to Nozomi with both eventually "dying" in different ways. With Hoshi going mad without the voice of God (an incredible power like Asakaze, Nagara, and even Mizuho), without structure or any kind of understanding of purpose anymore, without God in his mind, he is no longer a "prophet", he's just like everyone else, his individuality and purpose are gone, and in an attempt to find it, goes insane to the point of his eventual "death", where nothing matters and his individuality he would cling to is gone, and he finally is forced to accept "This World" and continue on. In contrast, Nozomi has no power, I don't think her seeing the light was a power I think it was her getting closer and closer to her eventual death, but was able to keep her individuality and reject the "This World" and stays true to herself until the very end, regardless of the power she isn't given, she's able to take her individuality, her soul, her humanity with herself to the very end, and aids Nagara and Mizuho through her will to be against the grain. Great video Professor this was an amazing anime and an intelligent analysis provided by you.
I thought they looked similar, but took it as coincidence since Rajdhani knew Hoshi and didn't say it was him. But then, after thousands of years, he'd forget the specifics. After all that time, "Hoshi" would mean nothing to him, just like how "Hoshi" came to mean nothing to the man who once bore the name. A point I'm sad I missed, but one I remember from now on for sure. Thank you : )
I really need to re-watch this show, it's probably the single most impactful piece of media I've seen - even my music taste was permanently shifted by the soundtrack. Great vid btw!
Great analysis! You kinda put the emotions I felt when I watched the show into words and meaning. Sonny Boy's soundtrack is also amazing and suits the show so well, love listening to it and just feeling things.
Thank you for putting your limited time here creating such a beautiful thinkpiece. I keep coming back to Sonny Boy and the myriad universal lessons it incorporated into its deeply personal story. Its like an old friend I haven't seen in years, but forever changed who I was.
Amazing analysis! This anime is so amazing and it does make me reflect on my relationship with death and how my life is centred around it. I really relate to Nagara as a character, more than any other character I've seen in anime, that decision to save the bird, to create a subtle possibility in small actions does give me hope. That hope makes me less risk averse. Great Video!
One of my favorite anime, thank you for giving it the time and discussion it deserves!! I picked up the soundtrack on vinyl and i want to see Sunset Rollercoaster live in concert. Really unforgettable and underrated.
I've pondered death a lot. I agree that it gives life meaning I look at it like an abstract painting you never really know it's done till it's done and once it is you have a beautiful work
8:15 "I know a lot of people just like you. Always pretending they're so busy. In my experience, those folks usually end up never having much to do at all" Today is a celebration day where I live, and I've said to everyone that I already have something planned, just so I can be alone... And now I'm watching this video. This hit too close to home.
I belive this encapsulates the meaning of the series way more than your first vídeo on it. You even made sense of some things I didnt understand. A shame that the anime isnt thar popular it deservs to be up there a really unique experience with the power of as said giving you the chance to roll the dice again and try to find another meaning after ending the series (I still think about That last chapter man)
Thank you, I definitely think this one was much clearer and less stifled by my own contrary thoughts. The ending of this anime will always mess me up, and I do wish more people will witness it someday. It's so perfectly somber, not complicating itself and proving a perfect platform for reflection
Yo, thank you for the videos on Sonny Boy, it helped me understand it better and catch small details that make it even better. This is one of the series so deep in meaning that you NEED to rewatch it to really understand it truly. Like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Madoka Magica, Cowboy Bebop, Steins;Gate and others.
Great video, man. Personally, I stopped trying to find meaning, or rather I stopped trying to organise my thoughts on the meaning of this show a short while after finishing it. I got some closure thinking about the ending and coming to some sort of conclusion that the show's message has something to do with hope, but I stopped there. I got frustrated and I thought I'd just leave it at "this show made me feel a lot of strong emotions" and stopped looking for the cause of that. But for better or for worse this video helped me make a lot more sense out of what happens in this show, if even possible. It got me thinking about it more, and I feel "fuller" now, if that makes sense. Anyway, thanks, and again, great video.
Thanks to your videos, I can speak of the concepts I understand and live with to others that expect me to be a spiritual salesman trying to get something out of them. I just put your video on. We watch it. And discuss things. So many types of thinking, so many meanings. So little time.
good video, good interpretations, very relaxing and thought provoking. i just found out about your channel and i like your taste in anime and your way of thinking. i will stick around and watch your other videos too. keep doing what you do, you are creating something very nice on your channel
Amazing video analysis like always 👏👏 I've been meaning to ask, have you watched the disappearence of Haruhi Suzumiya? It's one of my favorite animated films, and I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
While I still disagree with the conclusion that mortal death is what allows meaning to exist, i do agree that change exists only because things can end. Mortal death is a good way of symbolizing that, but things within our lives can still end without it. It's important to note that change itself can be thought of as a linear string of "ends" of individual states. Too often people see "the end" as definitive. That nothing of its essence will continue into anything else. But as endless potential always exists, i feel it is always possible for an end to simply be a shift to a newer state. Paradoxically, the more you observe, many endings bleed into one continuity. This is change, and I feel it can continue to exist even without mortal death. This was a great and thought provoking vid nonetheless!
great work. please watch the anime called "shiki" - believe me, you'll love it. its also about death... but moreover it is about the questionwhen its okay to kill.
loved the video, tought there are some things that are wrong, in yamabikos story he wanted that world to keep like that so much he infected everyone who entered it, like war and war spreaded the disease to kill them, the only way they could have saved was by killing war with thoyr hands but the girl didnt had the will to do it, yamabiko kept as a dog because he didnt changed when he needed to do it, when he had to tell her she had to kill war, thats why its its fault (having that in mind theres a posibility the can comeback if war dies and yamabiko changes) and Azakase didnt invented death in that world, Rajdany explained death wasnt but a change of form just like in our world, deaht was invented by hoshi way in the past (time is flexible in the drift) and hoshi isnt named but we see his back in the flashback, they just like Nozomi turn into the left powers, and Nozomi couldnt be saved by Azakase because she said she accepted destiny and she already knew in the original timeline they try to go back to shes dead. loved it, this anime is a masterpiece and it doesnt have the atention it really deserves.
War said that the plague was actually the result of a This World that he had brought. One where mental scars manifest physically. Yamabiko could change that because the world they were in was under his control (that's why he himself was not affected). There was seemingly no way for anyone else to have any bearing on the tumours, not even by killing War (maybe by improving mental health but no one was able to anyways). Asakaze might not have been the FIRST to invent a death, but he still did. (Besides, it's not like you can tell which happened first considering how flexible time is). I'm not too sure about Nozomi refusing to be saved by Asakaze - I think Asakaze simply did not do anything. Considering that he is a foil to Nagara, I think this makes a lot of sense (also since I have never heard of Nozomi just not accepting his help and it doesn't even LOOK like she does that).
Es asombroso, pero video que habla de este anime, video que tiene o pocos comentarios o que tiene poca respuesta. No sé porque Sonny Boy no es mas conocido, o mas reconocido. Siento que ha quedado de lado y pasaran los años y nosotros envejeceremos y veremos como poco a poco, esta obra de arte, se va haciendo añeja, se va haciendo menos y menos, pero será importante, será importante reconocer todo lo hay en ella. Hay tanto de lo que esta serie toca, filosofía, mecánica cuántica, adaptación, cambio, poder, pena, muerte, y vida. Ninguno de nosotros es el mismo que cuando empezamos este viaje, tal vez sea verdad que ninguno de nosotros conocía la forma en que esta historia acabaría y, como el propio significado de ese viaje a la deriva, cada uno de esos chicos que eligió seguir corriendo solo puedan aceptar que en esa incomprensible y estática realidad donde nada nunca cambiaría fueron esos jóvenes quienes eligieron seguir corriendo hacia el futuro que ellos mismos decidieron. Ese es el tipo de obra que es Sonny Boy porque, en medio de enrevesadas historias y complejas interpretaciones, es una historia que habla del cambio... de la importancia de mirar hacia adelante y, como ese lamentable polluelo pidiendo ayudar, elegir hacer el cambio porque, como en esa torre de babel que conduciendose hacia abajo, los obligaba a mover miles de bloques sin que nada nunca cambiará, fue Nagara quien decidió creer en la luz de Nozomi, no había razón para ello pero eligió cruzar las puertas de su habitual escuela y corriendo de ese estático presente creer que el mismo construiría su futuro... él cambiaría porque fue ese viaje el que le hizo entenderlo, no era él mismo que cuando su travesía comenzó. Ególatras y egoístas chicos que, caminando por la cuerda floja de sus habituales vidas sin preocupación alguna, sólo podían recorrer el mismo sendero bajo la fría lluvia de monótona existencia... ir a la escuela todos los días o asentir descuidadamente esperando que, sin hacer nada, su lamentable vida cambiara en un instante, tal vez los oscuros días de negro color carbón solo pudieran repetirse y, para siempre, Nagara sólo pudiera soportar los absurdos reclamos de un jefe aceptando que, en su camino a casa, no había más que una solitaria habitación de diminutas cuatro paredes esperando su llegada. Al volver a su frío y descuidado hogar probablemente no hubiera más que un obento precocido, nada había cambiado desde que, a la deriva, navego por 2 largos años en ese desconocido infierno y, sin sentir la más mínima felicidad o la hiriente aflicción, quizás sólo pudiera seguir mirando hacia el vacío techo oscuro que, como un ave de laceradas alas rotas, posiblemente sólo pudiera aceptar que ya era demasiado tarde... permanecer inmóvil y, en esa estática isla, repetirse que no había motivo para cruzar esa delgada línea. Nadie nunca recordaría su sacrificio o el tiempo de felicidad que, como estudiantes a la deriva, les permitió sonreír juntos pero aún si creía que todo era como en el comienzo, había cambiado más que nadie... aún si Nozomi no lo recordaba o si nuevamente se había quedado solo, seguiría avanzando hacia el futuro que esa brújula le mostró, la luz en la que esa chica siempre creyó porque nada volvería a ser como antes pero su futuro... ¡acababa de empezar!
I think Rajhdani found meaing though in his death and throughout this world that was in "stasis". I felt like he was kind of an outlier, he spent his time enjoying himself and doing what he wanted. Wouldn't you consider that meaningful?
Pp Also I'm losing my mind over this show. I watched it because in my mind it was an old masterpiece. A timeless 10/10 show reccomded by everyone but later i found out it was released just last year. And suddenly realised nobody was reccomending me this anime but i still thought of it as a masterpiece i would watch eventually but that doesn't make sense. Maybe it's some form deja vu but God does it feel off and weird. And no i didn't mistake it for 20th century boys cause i already started it way before trying Sonny Boy.
"I have no desier for meaning and never Will, so never think thath i am enetin like you becose im noth you" that wath i will say to eniwone Ho say those bullsit reason to have death in life
Every scenario in this show that you have described already happens irl. I dont think the show is saying death is the answer to the question of meaning, I think its saying death totally irrelevant to meaning. Nothing changes when death disappears and nothing changes when its reintroduced.
A bit late to the video but when is it said that the reason they failed to go back in episode 6 was the cats' interference?? I don't remember that at all
It was because they didn't realize they were copied, had they knew that, they could have went back to their worlds using a different method than simply forcing their way into it, what they had to do, which is what they inevitably did, was to reject staying static, accept change and the uncertainty that comes with it, and move forward beyond this world.
I don't think you thought out how an eternal life would be. Just imagine a life that never ends? You still got the meaningless aspect of life, except now it never ends, the suffering never stops. If you happen to find something that interests you, that brings you joy, how long does it last? Eternaty is something we don't have the constitution for. It would sooner or later end in madness. Even then, it would just keep on going.. Maybe I wouldn't mind living for a few centuries, maybe even a thousand years.. I would find the answer on if we survive, start to populate the solar system something that deeply interests me. I know what I would like to do in that case. Engineering, astrophysics, help humanity get there. But forever? No thanks, I would rather die in a week. I guess I could survive for however long, if the option to cease existing was always there, just a mater of choice. It sounds like an empty phrase, but in a way, death does give life meaning. The finite aspect of it, makes our decisions and choices mater. If you are mentally stable, without any shyzo disorders in your family, try psyhodelics. Ego death is something that can completly change your perspective on both death and your life. For the better. ;)
I love sonny boy, but I don't like your interpretation. I'm not saying it's wrong, it seems very plausible, I'm just saying that I don't like the message you think it's trying to get across. Death doesn't necessarily give life meaning. Happiness is the meaning and my happiness doesn't come from the knowledge that I'm not "wasting" time, it comes from simply doing something that I want to. Me doing something because I'm aware that I might not be able to do it later feels the same as me doing something because another person tells me to - It doesn't bring me happiness and makes me in fact dislike doing this thing. Not having to worry about time means there isn't a voice telling me to do something constantly because of which anything I do, I will do because *I* want to do it, which will always make the activity more enjoyable. I also wonder where this line between "a short but meaningful life" and "an empty life" is. Currently the life expectancy is ~80 years(I have no source for this), so maybe the line is 60 years. 60 years is a lot, but I don't want to think that I have 60 years to live and I doubt anyone does. If this philosophy was correct then people wouldn't be constantly trying to make themselves live for longer and instead plan to end their lives at some point in order to "make their life more meaningful". I don't want to live forever, but I don't want to worry about time either, which might be counterintuitive. Interestingly enough, I could compare it to playing a game. Speedrunning is certainly a way to not waste my time, but I'd rather take my time and enjoy every little thing, find all the secrets, visit all places, etc. At some point I will have done everything I want to do and I will stop playing and that's fine. But I don't want a semi-random hidden timer that decides how much time I have to play this game, because it turns the game into a chore of doing as many things as possible because you don't know how much more time you have left. It reminds me of trying to finish a meal really fast because I have no time - it feels awful, especially when doing it with food that I enjoy eating and usually would take my time with. It's kinda weird that the main 2 life ideas are "Eternal life without an end" and current life, but there's not "Life that is only as long as you want it to be". It has the positives of both ideas, but I guess it also has their negatives. If you do know of some form of art that talks about this, let me know. Cool video
If 20 seconds of audio makes it that you can't even give the ideas a chance, then I don't really want you watching it to be honest. Subtitle elitism is pointless
They make for a cleaner video, work better for people who listen more than watch, and make it much easier for me to take notes on the series. There is no objective best between dub or sub
no using dubs really does bring down the quality of this video, i can't stand hearing nozomi's english VA, so grating and old, there is nothing clean about it. I find it a little ironic using dub clips for an anime in which much of the meaning is derived from how drifting away from an original form of some kind causes dilutions, and representative of that is how much is lost in english voice overs. otherwise good vid.
@@ProfessorViralNO OBJECTIVE BEST? BWAHAAHA Brother, one is directed by the uhh director, and the other is done by a 3rd party? How is that not significant? Such a deluded take.
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would you rather become numb? have every symbol missed and mashed until everything lost it's meaning and turned into a beautifully rich forest of knowledge to be observed but never observe?
Hey great vid, thank you. Another anime that is intrigued with death is Casshern Sins, I'd give it a try sometime if it seems interesting at all to you.
I think one thing worth noting, is that this anime was likely heavily influenced by the philosophy of Alberto Camus. Rajdhani even quotes Camus before they take off on the rocket. In particular I think Camus Myth of Sisyphus might help in understanding some of the philosophy behind the anime. The book is Camus trying to find the answer to what he believes is the most important philosophical question, why does someone commit suicide? Camus argues that in finding what a suicide lacks, you'll find what gives life meaning. In the end it boils down to three things, the knowledge that the universe is uncaring, having a purpose that gives your life meaning, and knowing that that purpose is also meaningless. I do wonder if the whole point of Sonny Boy, is in Nagara finding a purpose to keep him from suicide.
why knowing a purpose is meaningless gives life maning?
@@ryukin8385 It's not so much that knowing your purpose is meaningless that gives life meaning as it is that it keeps you from breaking. If you believe that your purpose in life has a great meaning, you leave yourself open to be crushed once you realize that the universe is uncaring and your purpose is meaningless when weighed against the vast uncaring universe. Knowing your purpose is meaningless, but choosing to do it anyways, allows you to continue with your purpose and give your life meaning.
@@pewternatural i understand, thank you sir
Yeah I just read that book before watching this anime and it really gave me insight. Funny how I just happened to read it before :)
@@thoughtsdie8138 Yea, it especially puts the ending into context. If you haven't already seen it, I suggested watching Viral's video on the Myth of Sisyphus itself.
"Infinity has no guarantees but only possibilities" beautifully said
Thank you 💙
Am I the only one who has a heavy heart since watching the anime ?
The idea of death had never crossed me so much, and despite the obvious cathartic of the final scene, I feel a pain that I can't describe every time I think back to Sonny Boy, I embrace the fact that one day I will be able to overcome it.
You're definitely not alone, Sonny Boy is probably the anime ending that's made me the most emotional. It's genuinly the first thing to make me confront one of my most closely held beliefs about death, and I love it for that
@@ProfessorViral I think you should give the short video game Cruelty Squad a look then. This show and that game conclude the same things about death, though in very different styles. Cruelty Squad is an abrasive game on the senses (I love it some don't), it gives really good satirical social comentary, and the same philosophy on death in the final ending of the game. The main character in the game ALSO invents death in a world where there is no more death.
me too man. the more i think about the anime the heavier my heart gets. i have rewatched the part where they run through/leave the dimensions and return to their own world at least 5 times. the song, the animation, the journey. just everything
@@ProfessorViral no I feel exactly how you two do, it made me realize there are people who think the way I do who I've never even met before
It’s interesting how we feel about death. I’ve been chronically ill for 13 years now and for me death feels like a welcome embrace or an escape.
I love life and i’ll do my bestest to hold on too it but the representation of the moment where I have to strife no more does not scare me.
I am not suicidal and I will receive what life gives me but I will peacefully await the day life releases me from its grip.
honestly the more i think about sonny boy, the better it gets. there are so many details, so many ideas, so many things to love, to discover, to understand. and unlike other "philosophical" series like lain and such, it does that while having an easily understandable and enjoyable story.
it wasn't at first, but a after a re-watch, some research and a few videos like this, it's a 10/10 for me. great video analysis, you even set an idea for some things that i struggled to understand like what happened to war.
This is a series that got better for me as well on a rewatch. I also 100% agree on it's advantage over other series like Lain. In a way, it simplified surrealism, allowing to to play with out of the box ideas, but without utterly confusing the viewer, which is key. I don't think a viewer should have to sit and think about what happened, but instead why it happened, and that's what Sonny Boy mastered
I think one thing that might be ignored a lot because it is not said specifically, but Hoshi was the one that became the inventor that Rajdhani talks about in the 11th episode, and I think it's a great comparison to Nozomi with both eventually "dying" in different ways. With Hoshi going mad without the voice of God (an incredible power like Asakaze, Nagara, and even Mizuho), without structure or any kind of understanding of purpose anymore, without God in his mind, he is no longer a "prophet", he's just like everyone else, his individuality and purpose are gone, and in an attempt to find it, goes insane to the point of his eventual "death", where nothing matters and his individuality he would cling to is gone, and he finally is forced to accept "This World" and continue on. In contrast, Nozomi has no power, I don't think her seeing the light was a power I think it was her getting closer and closer to her eventual death, but was able to keep her individuality and reject the "This World" and stays true to herself until the very end, regardless of the power she isn't given, she's able to take her individuality, her soul, her humanity with herself to the very end, and aids Nagara and Mizuho through her will to be against the grain. Great video Professor this was an amazing anime and an intelligent analysis provided by you.
I thought they looked similar, but took it as coincidence since Rajdhani knew Hoshi and didn't say it was him. But then, after thousands of years, he'd forget the specifics. After all that time, "Hoshi" would mean nothing to him, just like how "Hoshi" came to mean nothing to the man who once bore the name. A point I'm sad I missed, but one I remember from now on for sure. Thank you : )
What truly gives life meaning is making memories with others. That way, you can live on in the hearts and minds of others.
I think that's part of what I do this, it creates a me that lives on past the physical me
It was very nice to watch scenes of Sonny Boy through one specific lens- death - and understand more deeply how layered this anime is. Thank you.
I really need to re-watch this show, it's probably the single most impactful piece of media I've seen - even my music taste was permanently shifted by the soundtrack. Great vid btw!
Great analysis! You kinda put the emotions I felt when I watched the show into words and meaning. Sonny Boy's soundtrack is also amazing and suits the show so well, love listening to it and just feeling things.
Thanks! Also 100% agree on the soundtrack, that most of what I listened to while making the video!
Thank you for putting your limited time here creating such a beautiful thinkpiece. I keep coming back to Sonny Boy and the myriad universal lessons it incorporated into its deeply personal story. Its like an old friend I haven't seen in years, but forever changed who I was.
I feel the same way about it, and I'm sure in the future it'll bring me even more. Thank you for the kind words : )
it is a crime that this has less than a million views. truly incredible. your channel is what i’ve been looking for
Amazing analysis! This anime is so amazing and it does make me reflect on my relationship with death and how my life is centred around it. I really relate to Nagara as a character, more than any other character I've seen in anime, that decision to save the bird, to create a subtle possibility in small actions does give me hope. That hope makes me less risk averse. Great Video!
Thank you! : D The more time goes on, the more I end up loving Sonny Boy haha
This video really helped me make peace with whatever was bothering me after finishing Sonny Boy. Thank you. :)
No problem : )
Found this on my YT recommended page, the first sonny boy explanation that really made sense to me, brilliant video essay
Thank you, happy I was able to provide some clarity!
One of my favorite anime, thank you for giving it the time and discussion it deserves!! I picked up the soundtrack on vinyl and i want to see Sunset Rollercoaster live in concert. Really unforgettable and underrated.
No problem, thanks for checking out the video! : D
I've pondered death a lot. I agree that it gives life meaning I look at it like an abstract painting you never really know it's done till it's done and once it is you have a beautiful work
I honestly hate that death solidifies us as individual beings, but Sonny Boy really opened my eyes to it. Every artwork must be finished somehow
8:15 "I know a lot of people just like you. Always pretending they're so busy. In my experience, those folks usually end up never having much to do at all"
Today is a celebration day where I live, and I've said to everyone that I already have something planned, just so I can be alone... And now I'm watching this video. This hit too close to home.
because how personal this subject is to you, I could feel how genuinely you were tackling it. was pretty good listen
Thank you, I'm happy to hear that : )
God I love this show, great video. Will give me a lot to think about when I re-watch Sonny Boy in a few months
Thank you! Hopefully your rewatch will be enjoyable : )
I belive this encapsulates the meaning of the series way more than your first vídeo on it. You even made sense of some things I didnt understand.
A shame that the anime isnt thar popular it deservs to be up there a really unique experience with the power of as said giving you the chance to roll the dice again and try to find another meaning after ending the series (I still think about That last chapter man)
Thank you, I definitely think this one was much clearer and less stifled by my own contrary thoughts. The ending of this anime will always mess me up, and I do wish more people will witness it someday. It's so perfectly somber, not complicating itself and proving a perfect platform for reflection
Yo, thank you for the videos on Sonny Boy, it helped me understand it better and catch small details that make it even better.
This is one of the series so deep in meaning that you NEED to rewatch it to really understand it truly. Like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Madoka Magica, Cowboy Bebop, Steins;Gate and others.
Man, thank you a lot. Love this video ❤️🙏🏻
Thank you, that means a lot! : D
Great video! Really deserves magnitudes more views.
Thank you! I was hoping this one would do better, but seeing the still positive response is nice : )
This is the best explanation and for me the definitive interpretation of sonny boy. Thank you
Thank you, really. This is one of my favorites I've ever made, so seeing kind responses to it means so much
Endless life is no different than eating the same thing everyday for every meal. Even your favourite food would become stale.
This video had to be one of the best about this show
Really beautiful im gonna be watching this video for years probably
Thank you very much : )
Your videos always feel like a late summer night, the same goes Sonny Boy.
19:48 had me in tears, damn i never thought of it like that
I hadn't either until I was writing the script. It's such a small detail, but it hits hard when you realize it
Great video, man. Personally, I stopped trying to find meaning, or rather I stopped trying to organise my thoughts on the meaning of this show a short while after finishing it. I got some closure thinking about the ending and coming to some sort of conclusion that the show's message has something to do with hope, but I stopped there. I got frustrated and I thought I'd just leave it at "this show made me feel a lot of strong emotions" and stopped looking for the cause of that. But for better or for worse this video helped me make a lot more sense out of what happens in this show, if even possible. It got me thinking about it more, and I feel "fuller" now, if that makes sense. Anyway, thanks, and again, great video.
Thanks to your videos, I can speak of the concepts I understand and live with to others that expect me to be a spiritual salesman trying to get something out of them. I just put your video on. We watch it. And discuss things. So many types of thinking, so many meanings. So little time.
good video, good interpretations, very relaxing and thought provoking.
i just found out about your channel and i like your taste in anime and your way of thinking. i will stick around and watch your other videos too.
keep doing what you do, you are creating something very nice on your channel
Thank you very much, that means a lot to hear : )
Damn, this was an incredible breakdown of the subtext of the story, really well done!
This is an amazing video man!! Really amazing!!!
Thank you very much : )
All ain’t fair when love is war- reverse of the meaning of not taking that risk and the side effects
Memento Mori - Remember Death
This video was great man. Thanks for sharing your thoughts
No problem, thank you for checking it out : )
I wish I had found this video when I was doing a project on yamabiko for college a few months ago
Oh interesting, what was the project?
Astounding analysis!
Thank you, this is one of my favorites!
Love this anime. It was so thought provoking. It’s definitely a must watch.
For sure, an anime that provides an excellent platform for reflection
Thank you for this
No problem : )
Amazing video analysis like always 👏👏 I've been meaning to ask, have you watched the disappearence of Haruhi Suzumiya? It's one of my favorite animated films, and I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
Sadly I haven't, I also haven't seen the main series either, so I'd have a bit of catching up to do haha. But maybe someday!
While I still disagree with the conclusion that mortal death is what allows meaning to exist, i do agree that change exists only because things can end. Mortal death is a good way of symbolizing that, but things within our lives can still end without it.
It's important to note that change itself can be thought of as a linear string of "ends" of individual states. Too often people see "the end" as definitive. That nothing of its essence will continue into anything else. But as endless potential always exists, i feel it is always possible for an end to simply be a shift to a newer state. Paradoxically, the more you observe, many endings bleed into one continuity.
This is change, and I feel it can continue to exist even without mortal death. This was a great and thought provoking vid nonetheless!
great work. please watch the anime called "shiki" - believe me, you'll love it. its also about death... but moreover it is about the questionwhen its okay to kill.
That does sound very Prof, so I'll have to see what it is!
loved the video, tought there are some things that are wrong, in yamabikos story he wanted that world to keep like that so much he infected everyone who entered it, like war and war spreaded the disease to kill them, the only way they could have saved was by killing war with thoyr hands but the girl didnt had the will to do it, yamabiko kept as a dog because he didnt changed when he needed to do it, when he had to tell her she had to kill war, thats why its its fault (having that in mind theres a posibility the can comeback if war dies and yamabiko changes)
and Azakase didnt invented death in that world, Rajdany explained death wasnt but a change of form just like in our world, deaht was invented by hoshi way in the past (time is flexible in the drift) and hoshi isnt named but we see his back in the flashback, they just like Nozomi turn into the left powers, and Nozomi couldnt be saved by Azakase because she said she accepted destiny and she already knew in the original timeline they try to go back to shes dead.
loved it, this anime is a masterpiece and it doesnt have the atention it really deserves.
I also thought that shot eluded to the fact that Hoshi invented death (and/or is war)
War said that the plague was actually the result of a This World that he had brought. One where mental scars manifest physically. Yamabiko could change that because the world they were in was under his control (that's why he himself was not affected). There was seemingly no way for anyone else to have any bearing on the tumours, not even by killing War (maybe by improving mental health but no one was able to anyways). Asakaze might not have been the FIRST to invent a death, but he still did. (Besides, it's not like you can tell which happened first considering how flexible time is). I'm not too sure about Nozomi refusing to be saved by Asakaze - I think Asakaze simply did not do anything. Considering that he is a foil to Nagara, I think this makes a lot of sense (also since I have never heard of Nozomi just not accepting his help and it doesn't even LOOK like she does that).
love this
Thanks!
Thank you for this!
No problem : )
this show was so good man
100% agreed!
What a great video.
Thank you! This is one of my favorites
Brilliant video and analysist!
Thank you! : D
what a great video !
Thank you! This is one of my favorites that I've made
@@ProfessorViral it was wonderful mate. be proud 🤍
Es asombroso, pero video que habla de este anime, video que tiene o pocos comentarios o que tiene poca respuesta. No sé porque Sonny Boy no es mas conocido, o mas reconocido. Siento que ha quedado de lado y pasaran los años y nosotros envejeceremos y veremos como poco a poco, esta obra de arte, se va haciendo añeja, se va haciendo menos y menos, pero será importante, será importante reconocer todo lo hay en ella. Hay tanto de lo que esta serie toca, filosofía, mecánica cuántica, adaptación, cambio, poder, pena, muerte, y vida.
Ninguno de nosotros es el mismo que cuando empezamos este viaje, tal vez sea verdad que ninguno de nosotros conocía la forma en que esta historia acabaría y, como el propio significado de ese viaje a la deriva, cada uno de esos chicos que eligió seguir corriendo solo puedan aceptar que en esa incomprensible y estática realidad donde nada nunca cambiaría fueron esos jóvenes quienes eligieron seguir corriendo hacia el futuro que ellos mismos decidieron. Ese es el tipo de obra que es Sonny Boy porque, en medio de enrevesadas historias y complejas interpretaciones, es una historia que habla del cambio... de la importancia de mirar hacia adelante y, como ese lamentable polluelo pidiendo ayudar, elegir hacer el cambio porque, como en esa torre de babel que conduciendose hacia abajo, los obligaba a mover miles de bloques sin que nada nunca cambiará, fue Nagara quien decidió creer en la luz de Nozomi, no había razón para ello pero eligió cruzar las puertas de su habitual escuela y corriendo de ese estático presente creer que el mismo construiría su futuro... él cambiaría porque fue ese viaje el que le hizo entenderlo, no era él mismo que cuando su travesía comenzó.
Ególatras y egoístas chicos que, caminando por la cuerda floja de sus habituales vidas sin preocupación alguna, sólo podían recorrer el mismo sendero bajo la fría lluvia de monótona existencia... ir a la escuela todos los días o asentir descuidadamente esperando que, sin hacer nada, su lamentable vida cambiara en un instante, tal vez los oscuros días de negro color carbón solo pudieran repetirse y, para siempre, Nagara sólo pudiera soportar los absurdos reclamos de un jefe aceptando que, en su camino a casa, no había más que una solitaria habitación de diminutas cuatro paredes esperando su llegada.
Al volver a su frío y descuidado hogar probablemente no hubiera más que un obento precocido, nada había cambiado desde que, a la deriva, navego por 2 largos años en ese desconocido infierno y, sin sentir la más mínima felicidad o la hiriente aflicción, quizás sólo pudiera seguir mirando hacia el vacío techo oscuro que, como un ave de laceradas alas rotas, posiblemente sólo pudiera aceptar que ya era demasiado tarde... permanecer inmóvil y, en esa estática isla, repetirse que no había motivo para cruzar esa delgada línea. Nadie nunca recordaría su sacrificio o el tiempo de felicidad que, como estudiantes a la deriva, les permitió sonreír juntos pero aún si creía que todo era como en el comienzo, había cambiado más que nadie... aún si Nozomi no lo recordaba o si nuevamente se había quedado solo, seguiría avanzando hacia el futuro que esa brújula le mostró, la luz en la que esa chica siempre creyó porque nada volvería a ser como antes pero su futuro... ¡acababa de empezar!
El comentario es un recuperado de
Jonny Cuellar. Quien hizo el comentario cuando salió el ultimo capitulo.
It slowly creeped up my list, it's likely a top 10 at least for me now
I think Rajhdani found meaing though in his death and throughout this world that was in "stasis". I felt like he was kind of an outlier, he spent his time enjoying himself and doing what he wanted. Wouldn't you consider that meaningful?
But can you explain why I had to go through the torture that is the monkey episode.
Honestly I felt the same when I watched it the first time, but I think it’s one of my favorite episodes now 😭
I had to skip through that dude’s monologue of monkeys omg it was TORTURE
Pp
Also
I'm losing my mind over this show. I watched it because in my mind it was an old masterpiece. A timeless 10/10 show reccomded by everyone but later i found out it was released just last year. And suddenly realised nobody was reccomending me this anime but i still thought of it as a masterpiece i would watch eventually but that doesn't make sense. Maybe it's some form deja vu but God does it feel off and weird.
And no i didn't mistake it for 20th century boys cause i already started it way before trying Sonny Boy.
"I have no desier for meaning and never Will, so never think thath i am enetin like you becose im noth you" that wath i will say to eniwone Ho say those bullsit reason to have death in life
Every scenario in this show that you have described already happens irl. I dont think the show is saying death is the answer to the question of meaning, I think its saying death totally irrelevant to meaning. Nothing changes when death disappears and nothing changes when its reintroduced.
A bit late to the video but when is it said that the reason they failed to go back in episode 6 was the cats' interference?? I don't remember that at all
It was because they didn't realize they were copied, had they knew that, they could have went back to their worlds using a different method than simply forcing their way into it, what they had to do, which is what they inevitably did, was to reject staying static, accept change and the uncertainty that comes with it, and move forward beyond this world.
happiness isn't guaranteed but there's a chance you might find it? isn't it worth taking that chance?
its good
👍
Thanks!
I FUCKING WEPT
I don't think you thought out how an eternal life would be. Just imagine a life that never ends? You still got the meaningless aspect of life, except now it never ends, the suffering never stops. If you happen to find something that interests you, that brings you joy, how long does it last?
Eternaty is something we don't have the constitution for. It would sooner or later end in madness. Even then, it would just keep on going..
Maybe I wouldn't mind living for a few centuries, maybe even a thousand years.. I would find the answer on if we survive, start to populate the solar system something that deeply interests me. I know what I would like to do in that case. Engineering, astrophysics, help humanity get there.
But forever? No thanks, I would rather die in a week.
I guess I could survive for however long, if the option to cease existing was always there, just a mater of choice.
It sounds like an empty phrase, but in a way, death does give life meaning. The finite aspect of it, makes our decisions and choices mater.
If you are mentally stable, without any shyzo disorders in your family, try psyhodelics. Ego death is something that can completly change your perspective on both death and your life. For the better. ;)
was that the best argumet they have for having deaf in life?
No thanks, i prefer eternaly exsistence thank you.
I love sonny boy, but I don't like your interpretation. I'm not saying it's wrong, it seems very plausible, I'm just saying that I don't like the message you think it's trying to get across.
Death doesn't necessarily give life meaning. Happiness is the meaning and my happiness doesn't come from the knowledge that I'm not "wasting" time, it comes from simply doing something that I want to. Me doing something because I'm aware that I might not be able to do it later feels the same as me doing something because another person tells me to - It doesn't bring me happiness and makes me in fact dislike doing this thing. Not having to worry about time means there isn't a voice telling me to do something constantly because of which anything I do, I will do because *I* want to do it, which will always make the activity more enjoyable.
I also wonder where this line between "a short but meaningful life" and "an empty life" is. Currently the life expectancy is ~80 years(I have no source for this), so maybe the line is 60 years. 60 years is a lot, but I don't want to think that I have 60 years to live and I doubt anyone does. If this philosophy was correct then people wouldn't be constantly trying to make themselves live for longer and instead plan to end their lives at some point in order to "make their life more meaningful". I don't want to live forever, but I don't want to worry about time either, which might be counterintuitive.
Interestingly enough, I could compare it to playing a game. Speedrunning is certainly a way to not waste my time, but I'd rather take my time and enjoy every little thing, find all the secrets, visit all places, etc. At some point I will have done everything I want to do and I will stop playing and that's fine. But I don't want a semi-random hidden timer that decides how much time I have to play this game, because it turns the game into a chore of doing as many things as possible because you don't know how much more time you have left. It reminds me of trying to finish a meal really fast because I have no time - it feels awful, especially when doing it with food that I enjoy eating and usually would take my time with.
It's kinda weird that the main 2 life ideas are "Eternal life without an end" and current life, but there's not "Life that is only as long as you want it to be". It has the positives of both ideas, but I guess it also has their negatives. If you do know of some form of art that talks about this, let me know.
Cool video
First
First after the pinned comment 😎
Couldn't watch this because all the clips were from the dub
If 20 seconds of audio makes it that you can't even give the ideas a chance, then I don't really want you watching it to be honest. Subtitle elitism is pointless
@@ProfessorViral It's not elitism. The dub is bad and I don't want to listen to it lol.
ew gross why did you use the dub clips i can't watch this video
They make for a cleaner video, work better for people who listen more than watch, and make it much easier for me to take notes on the series. There is no objective best between dub or sub
no using dubs really does bring down the quality of this video, i can't stand hearing nozomi's english VA, so grating and old, there is nothing clean about it. I find it a little ironic using dub clips for an anime in which much of the meaning is derived from how drifting away from an original form of some kind causes dilutions, and representative of that is how much is lost in english voice overs. otherwise good vid.
@@ProfessorViralNO OBJECTIVE BEST? BWAHAAHA Brother, one is directed by the uhh director, and the other is done by a 3rd party? How is that not significant? Such a deluded take.