Learned From Manga #1: The Answer to Happiness

Reading the #manga Mikado no Shiho (Emperor's Treasure) I've found some interesting scene, I wanted to share here and give my opinion on.

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Learned From Manga

Manga/Anime and Games are art. I believe that the things we watch/read/play don't only move us emotionally but can make use wiser and more knowledgeable... I believe there's no truly useless knowledge. and by sharing our opinions on scenes from them, we can get something more... something to help us in our lives.

This a series of posts I was planning to do since long ago, in my Arabic Facebook Group I always share things like these so I wanted to do this on steemit too.

So Enjoy The First One

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Mikado no Shiho (Emperor's Treasure)

This is a scene from chapter 6 of the manga (pages 19-22). This doesn't contain any spoilers to the rest of manga story (I think) so you can read it spoiler-free. I don't own this manga and only posted these pages here to share my opinion on them.

page 19	page 20	page 21	page 22

I decided to challenge myself in writing this in novel-like way, I did that in Arabic and it got liked. my English writing isn't as good yet, so what do you think?

[Kouran POV]

I was thinking how to find the Assassin who's going for the Emperor, I couldn't stay calm and said with restless voice "Ahh, we can't relax, we have to be vigilant. We don't know where the Assassin is hiding."

Shiki beside me chuckled and said "Actually, this is quite common. it'll work out eventually."

"Eh?! Common?" I said "Is that true?", then that means the Assassins are trying to kill the Emperor all the time. this is unforgivable.

"It can't be helped," said Shiki with a weak tune and a sad look on his face.

Shiki... The decisions he painstakingly made for the sake of helping others, probably made another person suffer.
"I don't like this..." I could feel the tears starting to form up in my eyes "I keep thinking that, it would be great if we knew the answer to make everyone happy"

Shiki lips formed into a smile and he said "That's true but...I feel relieved that there isn't an answer to the happiness"

'what?' I thought 'how can he be relieved?'. I tried to speak but I felt a hand approaching my face, and brushing off my tears.

And I heard Shiki say "Because, that means there isn't a wrong answer either." he continued with a relieved face "Be it me, or the people who hate me. Neither they nor I, are wrong, so it can't be helped."

I was shocked by his words.

"Well, I guess it's time for us to return," he said standing up. and I might've heard him say 'it's starting to get cold' but I didn't pay attention. I couldn't, his words earlier, 'it can't be helped' filled up my mind.

Shiki has always been this way, using his strength and his compassion. Even if he doesn't know whether the person before his eyes is a friend or foe. Before that person, he is standing righteously.

Ah, I... really am selfish.
I wish that I would be able to stand honorably in front of others as well.

The Answer to Happiness

"You can't make everyone happy"
It's one of the things I learned by experience, there's no solution that suits everyone. it's one of the reasons I don't like preaching the "freedom". those who do that, the change of the rules they seek, might create a happy environment for them but it will make other innocent people suffer instead. These pages of Mikado no Shiho reminded me to think about the topic again.

The way Shiki approached this really amazed me, he just tries to make the most of the people happy. he knows he can't make a solution for all of his people. and that's why he doesn't have anything against his enemies. They're totally right in their anger at him. But at the same time, he can't do something for them because doing so will shift the suffering to other people and the number of those people may be more! as a leader, he can't allow that.

As a person who values happiness, I should learn something from this fantasy character!!

A New Take on All-Loving-Hero

This chapter is the chapter that got me to like the manga, to like this main character. He isn't a normal "All-Loving-Hero" who doesn't understand anything about how reality works, those who shift the blame of all the bad things that happen in the series to "one bad evil character".

Shiki understands the reality and he still decided to be that "All-Loving-Hero", he knew he chose the hardest path (even if the manga narrative sadly made it seem the easier one). and he doesn't go back. he knows he as a leader must make sacrifices and he knows he is responsible for the suffering of people he couldn't help.

The one character I liked for the same reason is Kanzaki Nao from Liar Game, but she started so naive, she didn't understand she choose the hardest path, and suffered a lot for it!!

Conclusion

Mikado no Shiho while this manga was a very predictable for me as I could see most chapters endings after 5 pages, it had this scene that made me grateful I spent some time in it. Shiki's take on "The Answer to Happiness" is a way of thinking I hadn't known it exists before!!

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I Learned From Manga isn't about new things that I didn't know before reading a manga. but it's about a new take on how to see life.. things that stick with you long after reading that scene. I don't say everyone should do it with everything they read. but it's good to do it sometimes!!a